Lost
by Nio Hashiri's Riddles
Summary: Faced with a crisis that threatens all worlds, Shadow and Maria are called upon by Goddess Aeon to collect the 300 Soul Plates to defeat a powerful being known as Infinite. Teaming up with psychic Estyn, pyrokinetic Lara and electrokinetic Volt, Shadow and Maria, alongside a traumatized Sonic, must save the universe but it seems fate has other ideas...
1. Prologue

**OP: heavenly blue by Kalafina (Aldnoah Zero)**

 **One "story"/"scenario" is one chapter, so these are REALLY long. Sorry, but doing individual stories is not my thing.**

 **Many stories and dimensions are based on existing material.**

 **XO**

 **THIS IS AN OFFICIAL MESSAGE FROM THE EGGMAN EMPIRE. LEGIONIZATION INTO THE EGGMAN EMPIRE ARMY IS MANDATORY FOR ALL RESISTANCE MEMBERS. THOSE WHO FAIL TO COMPLY WILL BE MERCILESSLY KILLED. WE URGE FOR YOUR COOPERATION. THANK YOU.**

"Shit…" I duck as Buzzbombers soar overhead, eyes scouring the landscape for any Resistance stragglers. I see one; a female bird who is immediately shot, falling down onto the ground with blood oozing from the shot wound in her head. Normally, death doesn't bother me. I can look death in the face and not be fazed but my body cringes, almost trembles, at the sight of the corpse. It's not like me to be scared. No, I'm not scared. Me? Scared? Yeah, right. Now in the clear, I run. I don't know what is going on in this world anymore. Dr. Eggman suddenly attacks with one clear goal: to conquer the world. His troops are more powerful, almost infinite in number. I hear screaming from one of the centers of the city, but by the time I head there, I get beaten to the punch by the one person who always has one up on me, as much as it hurts me to say that. Sonic. Of course. He IS the hero after all. Tails is there too, shielding a bunch of civilians who cheer as Sonic destroys the Egg Pawns that were about to fire. Tails winks.

"Thanks for the save. Cutting it kind of close though, huh pal?"

"Uh, yeah! That's how I roll!" He turns to Dr. Eggman, who is watching earnestly in his pathetic little Eggmobile. He doesn't even look unsettled, not even annoyed. He looks almost…coy. "Alright, let's settle this Egghead!" He spin-dashes at the Doctor, who barely flinches at the hedgehog speeding forward at him in full-on attack mode, only to get reflected back by a purple blast of energy. I'm surprised to see a copy of myself in front of Sonic, his aura glitchy and not natural, alongside copies of Metal, Chaos and Zavok. What the hell!? They're not real, obviously, but they look real enough. Almost perfect copies, but my copy's eyes are soulless and blank, as well as the white part of my irises being absent from his dead stare. Not only that, but a new figure levitates down to the ground, his one single eye, which burns with a vengeful amber flame, staring at him almost in scrutiny. Something about him is familiar. By his ear shape, tail and body-type, he's a jackal. He has black fur with white fur around his neck and dreadlocks flowing behind his back like ponytails. His hands are clawed and his tail whips side-to-side with anticipation. He has some jewel on his chest, one that glows an alluring magenta. His face is covered with a silver metallic mask. What for? Hmph, coward. Sonic seems to like the idea of someone new to fight as he flicks his nose and boosts, only for the jackal to easily dodge, leaving Sonic speechless. It leaves me speechless as well. This creep is fast. Supersonic fast.

"This guy's faster than Sonic!" Tails exclaims, mostly to himself. Yeah, we know Sherlock. The jackal hovers and shoots lasers from his hand, only for Sonic to dodge and he attempts a spin-dash in mid-air, only to get comboed and gets kicked into a wall, making me naturally cringe. This is the very first time I've seen Sonic in a bad situation but running to help isn't going to help. This jackal guy…even I can't take him on alone, even with Sonic I'm no match for him. Tails then thinks, pulling out a screen to do some "tests". "No, it's something else. Need to scan him and figure this out." Very soon, Sonic's being beaten up like a rag doll but manages to get to his feet, albeit unsteadily. He's breathing heavily and I can imagine his vision must be blurry.

"Tails! I need to know what's goin' on with this guy!"

"I'm trying Sonic but the data is all messed up! It doesn't make any sense!" Eventually, the commanders get in on the action and Sonic eventually gets leveled. He's too weak to get back up and collapses, eyes rolling back into their sockets before he goes limp. I'm about to run over to kick the jackal's face in when Tails screams and flees, terror eating him up. Can't say I blame him. He'd get killed if he tried to assist. I hate to admit it, but I'd probably suffer that sort of fate as well. After all, Sonic's like a brother to the kid, so I can't say I don't understand why he's gone off the deep end. I'll have to track him down later. With a laugh, a claw emerges from Eggman's spherical ship and grabs Sonic. He's badly bruised and bloodied and, from a distance, he doesn't even look alive. The commanders leave, but the jackal stops Eggman, his eye examining Sonic's unconscious form in glee. That sick, sadistic glee you get when you see others' suffering and pain.

" **If I may ask…"** He begins, his voice echoing. **"…what is the plan now?"**

"You _know_ the plan, Infinite." So that's that bastard's name. Infinite. Not one I recognize, despite him looking really familiar somehow. "We lock him up until our master plan is complete. I've suffered years at his hands and I'm not going to let him ruin this scheme! The Phantom Ruby is not yet complete! You're only using a highly-replicated prototype! To craft the perfect Ruby AND get everything set up for our master plan will take 6 months at least, if not more!"

" **I could always instill some terror into the blue child if that will suit your desire, Doctor."**

"…What have you got in mind?"

" **Hmph. A little dose of torture should do the trick. Even if he were to break free or was rescued by the remaining Resistance forces, I doubt he would be able to face me. My face will torture him forever more, as will any force he faces in the future. His reputation will surely shatter beneath him. Violence and evil will forever plague his being."** I feel sickness welling in my stomach for the first time ever. Torture? Actual torture!? This guy is beyond sick in the head. Dr. Eggman groans.

"I don't think torture is the right course of action…" Thank god. "…but it would be the fastest way to destroy him…ugh, alright Infinite. Have it your own way. I'll set up some new equipment to assist your scheme. Follow." He flies off. What a bald BASTARD! Infinite is about to follow when…

"Hey, you." He turns. "Yeah, you in the mask. Infinite, was it?" Infinite looks at me blankly for a split second before a small humored chuckle escapes his covered mask as he floats down and stands a few feet in front of me, arms crossed, his eyes shining in a cruel delight.

" **After all these months, I would never have imagined you to have tracked me down, Shadow. What an unexpected pleasure to see you once again."**

"I thought you looked familiar…but I'm not sure from where." He laughs again.

" **So you have forgotten me…"** Infinite comes close to me, his amber iris staring straight into my own crimson eyes. **"I'm not at all surprised. After all, you were the reason I am what I am. You are the reason I destroyed myself to become stronger. Without your little hero, Mobius is nothing more than a treasure waiting to be collected."**

"What do you mean I made you like this?" He backs off slightly, turning away.

" **Let me remind you…about the first and only encounter we had…"** His voice has a sad, almost nostalgic, tone, which is a little weird seeing as this must be a bad memory if his voice sounds like it carries an inch of humanity. **"…must have been 3 months ago in Mystic Jungle, which was one of the Doctor's first military bases in that region of the planet…"**

 **XO**

 ** _You had the nerve to storm into the jungle. You had the nerve to destroy the only people I saw as a family: my squad. I happened to be a mercenary under the Doctor's command. When I heard of the devastation my squad had suffered, I headed to Luminous Forest to find the source. On the way, the Doctor contacted me._**

" _Hey, you! I know you can hear me! You're the leader of Squad Jackal, aren't you? Your squad was useless. Go clean up their mess already!"_

" _Yeah, yeah, I got it."_ ** _I happened to see you hiding behind a rock formation, contacting your feeble allies. My fists clenched. Anger ran through me. No-one could beat me, I thought. I saw myself as the strongest person to ever live. I didn't need a mask of shame. I was proud of who I was. I may have had a scar on my face, miscolored eyes, one amber, one blue, but I was a proud individual. Those who saw my face ran in violent terror. I relished in their screams, their panic, their fear. It goes along with the one rule I always stuck by, even to this day:_**

 ** _Spare no-one._**

" _You…! You destroyed my squad. I'll show you why they call me the Ultimate Mercenary. Take THIS!"_ ** _I attacked with a boost attack. Ever since I was little, I had speed on par, even surpassing, that of the so-called Blue Blur, Sonic the Hedgehog. One of my dreams was to defeat him either in a race or in battle to prove my superiority. You, unfortunately, saw me and disappeared in a teleport, proceeding to crush my assassination, making me crash into another stone pillar. You looked at me with such discontempt, like I was an insect underneath your shoe, waiting to be crushed. In a way, I was mentally glad you didn't end my life that day, but what you said stays with me always._**

" _Worthless. Don't show your pathetic face to me ever again."_ ** _When you vanished, the words sunk into my very heart and soul. No-one had ever had the nerve to say that to me. Any other day I would have killed them for mocking me. You, however, were different. You were immortal, void of fear, impossible to intimidate. Fear is not something you are able to feel. I then looked at what I had become, what you had made me become. A weakling. A feeble mortal. Someone incapable of doing one simple thing right. I may have been proud, strong and feared but I was also fearful of my reputation. My self-esteem was extremely unstable. I always had my squad to reassure me I had done my best if I ever failed. I don't accept failure. On ANY circumstance. Without them there, my paranoia, my emotional instability, flared into life._**

" _I…I'm shaking. Me? Me…afraid? Pathetic? Me…he's calling ME weak!? No, I am not weak! I'm…I'm not. I am not weak. I AM NOT WEAK! URRRAAAAAAAAAAAGH!"_ ** _You couldn't hear my screams. My paranoia about my own strength is why I decided to rise through the Doctor's ranks. I was determined to prove you wrong. I wasn't weak. Never again would I fall at someone hands, never again would I fail anyone's wishes. It was on that day that I gave up my own unsightly face. And I let go of the old me, the me that was so weak, so I could get stronger. Then, at long last, I obtained the power. The power to make all yield to my will. I…was…REBORN!_**

XO

I'm just staring dumbfoundedly. So it's him. The worthless piece of nothing that tried aimlessly to ambush me when I was getting intel to Rouge. Because of that, he's a powerhouse of evil, all powered by that gaudy gemstone. I remember who he was. The leader of Jackal Squad, or Squad Jackal, whichever. I'd heard of the squad's exploits, constantly raiding temples, bases and even some GUN bunkers for technology or treasure to sell for bounty money. Their leader, who wielded a sword made from red plasma….Zero, the myths said. Zero the Slayer. Anyone who faced him died at his hands. I fought them once, Squad Jackal, but Zero was absent from the fight. I will not bring that up to him. Zero's name is feared throughout Mobius, having the largest bounty in history. Kill him or capture him and you would get 5.2 million Rings. No wonder he has more assassins after him than anyone else in the world.

"Zero…"

" **I am no longer Zero!"** He snaps, boosting at me and I barely dodge, only to get roundhouse-kicked into the ground. Those moves are my thing. He glaring at me intensely. **"Zero is nothing more than a ghost of the past! He has been erased from my being! I have you to thank for that. Thanks to you, I have more power than before! Enough to destroy the entire planet…and not just that…even all dimensions…all will bow before me!"**

"I won't let you get away with this, Infinite. You may think you've won, but you haven't. Not yet. If Sonic can't beat you, I will."

" **You would defend that little blue rat? What is he to you? An annoyance?"**

"…A valuable ally, actually." He doesn't pick up on my hesitation.

" **Friendship is only an illusion. You only need to rely on yourself."**

" _Infinite!"_ His wrist communicator goes off. _"Get here, now! I'm not waiting for you!"_

" **I'm on my way now, Doctor."** With a menacing hiss, he flies skyward, disappearing in a magenta-colored comet. I feel myself gulp. What in Aurora's name is going on here? Powerful or not, he has Sonic, and by the sounds of it, he's going to absolutely crush him unless someone saves him. Guess _I_ have to be the one to save him. Imagine, me saving someone who usually saves someone else. Weird. I shake everything off and I head back to the base. Knuckles is heading the Resistance (why?), but before I get there, I'm cut off by a transmission by Rouge.

"What, Rouge?"

"Oh, hello to you too." Comes a sly reply. "What's going on? Eggman's just recorded a message that Sonic's…"

"I know. He's not, but don't tell Knuckles or anyone. Not yet. We need more information. I don't even know where the Doctor has taken him. How's the project going?"

"It'll still take some time."

"You still at our Metropolis station?"

"You bet, handsome."

"I'll be right there." I cut off, growl and I teleport to Metropolis. Looks normal enough but I guess the Doctor's forces haven't mobilized here yet. I scan my retina and the door opens. It belongs to GUN, hence the high security. Rouge is waiting for me.

"Hiya."

"No Omega?"

"You know he's been AWOL for 3 months now."

"Zero…he must have been the one who made him disappear…"

"Zero…? Who is that?"

"The one that captured Faker. Jackal in a mask. He calls himself Infinite…I battled him on that Mystic Jungle raid…I beat him and he made himself stronger using some jewel called the Phantom Ruby…he used to be Zero though. Zero the Slayer, leader of Squad Jackal."

"You making someone go crazy? Wouldn't be the first time…"

"ROUGE!"

"Sorry, Shadow. Oh, the project! Let me show you."

The project…Project: Memoria (lame name, but I was tired at the time and I don't like messing with things once they're decided). It was a project to download a person's consciousness into a lifeless body, regenerating them. The only downside is that some memories get lost or altered. What's Project: Memoria, I hear you ask? Well, considering I've been through 50 plus years of mental trauma thanks to the death of my friend Maria, me and Rouge came up with a plan. We got DNA and memories from GUN, who had been trying to do this since it happened, considering it was an accident at the end of the day, and been trying to effectively bring Maria back to life. If GUN can't do it, we can, because we're superior to them…in some ways. I still technically work for them, so I can't really diss them but hey, I'm not one to follow anyone's orders. I see the machine whirring away. Soon it will be complete. We're playing the waiting game now.

XO

6 months have passed. 6 whole months. Eggman's army has conquered 99% of Mobius in that time, despite the Resistance's best efforts. Without Sonic, it's a lost cause. Many people believe he's dead, myself included. While Sonic has a high resistance to pain, he's not mentally strong. It doesn't take much to make him sensitive or cry, much like any 15-year-old. Torture for 6 whole months can't leave you alive, surely? I'm still in our base when the machine containing Maria's new Mobian body whirs and falls silent, making Rouge excited. I'm in high spirits as well. She presses a few buttons and the machine door opens, wires that are connected to Maria retract back. She's now a golden hedgehog with a dress similar to the one she wore on the ARK and she has a dark blue headband on her head. Her boots are like Amy's but are blue and white. She also has navy rings on her gloved hands. Her quills reach her lower back and she also has bangs that flick out like a human's shoulder-cut. Her eyes flicker open, revealing them to be that rich azure that I fondly remember. She weakly sits up and looks around, eventually making eye contact with us. I wait to see if she recognizes me.

"Um…hi…?" Her voice is silvery and sounds a bit like Cream's; high-pitched and naïve-sounding. She looks at me, confusion in her eyes. "You…you look really familiar…" She's thinking but eventually, she has a eureka moment. "Shadow?"

"Yeah, yeah it's me." I nod, happiness rising in me as I rush over to embrace her, with her hugging back, tears down her face.

"Did you miss me?"

"Miss you!? Of course, I did!"

"Aren't you going to introduce me?" Rouge pipes up, slightly annoyed.

"Oh, sorry. Maria, this is a friend of mine, Rouge."

"Nice to meet you Rouge." She gestures for a handshake. Rouge takes it, smiling.

"It's nice to meet you too, Maria. Shadow's told me all about you."

This could have gone further but the ground suddenly shakes, knocking Maria off balance. I hug her both in comfort and in protection as she whimpers. I grab her hand and we run out of the base as the ceiling collapses. Rouge manages to fly out too as the entrance gets blocked and choking smoke streams into our faces.

"W-What was that?" I look up.

"That." We look up. Infinite. Must have blasted near here and set off a chain reaction. He hasn't seen us. I shush Maria and we edge away, only for a laser to nearly hit us.

" **You think you can run from me, Shadow? And Rouge, it is always a pleasure."**

"Get lost, creep."

" **And a new child among us…soul full of innocence and confusion, mind full of doubt and anxiety…interesting…your body is not your own…regenerative experimentation…I always thought that was always doomed to fail…"**

"What do you know!?" Rouge yells, fists clenched. "You're the one who kidnaps unconscious hedgehogs!"

" **He was a feeble mortal, doomed to die at the hands of someone stronger. There's always someone stronger, am I right Shadow?"**

"Don't bring me into this."

" **That cold persona of yours…I see…it is a perfect mechanism for disguising your fear, but that won't work on me. I can smell the fear off mortals like yourself. You reek of it. You saw everything I did to that little blue rat 6 months ago, so I'm glad that left an impression on you."**

"Who the hell are you!?" Maria yells, though she's cowering and hiding behind me. Infinite crosses his arms and readjusts his mask.

" **You may call me…Infinite, in the brief moments that remain to you. No-one can stand against me. If the hero of Mobius falls to me, so will everyone and anyone in any dimension. This dimension…this world…bores me. I long for something more, someone to give me a decent challenge. That rodent was a joke. No fight, no spirit. Hearing him plead for help from his little fox brother was both adorable and worthless. In the end, he is doomed to scream in pain for the rest of his days. I will make sure of that. You've distracted me enough. I will not kill you today, Shadow the Hedgehog, but the next time we meet, I will slash you down where you stand."** He darkly laughs and flies away, leaving all of us confused by his choice of words.

"How dare he talk about Sonic like that!?" Rouge rages, teeth clenched. She doesn't get angry often but when she does, it's ugly. "Like he doesn't even matter!?"

"Sonic?" Maria asks. "Who is that?"

"My arch-rival. It used to be extremely hostile but it's more neutral these days. He's seen as the hero of the planet, constantly taking down any evil that arises. Sure, he's reckless, annoying and a bit egotistical but he's the best hope anyone has when Dr. Eggman or anyone else decides to wreak havoc."

"Dr. Eggman?"

"Ivo Robotnik." When I say his name, Maria violently flinches. "What's wrong?"

"Ivo…my cousin…"

"Cousin!? Wait, you and the Doctor are actually related?" Rouge asks in alarm. I wasn't expecting that but I don't react. I figured there was some relation due to the same surname but cousins are quite close relations. Definitely same blood. Same grandparents. Gerald. Of course. Now it makes sense. When Maria nods, Rouge smirks and hovers. "Wow, that would make quite a scoop."

"Rouge, don't you even think about telling anyone; neither the Resistance nor GUN! If you do, I swear…!"

"OK, hon, settle down!

"You two, stop it!" Maria yells, glaring at us. "We need to think of something."

"She has a point." I point out. I assess the damage to the base and sigh. "We need to get back to the City. Maybe the Resistance can train Maria up a bit."

"Are we telling them about Sonic?"

"…We don't know where he is…our main priority is whittling down the Doctor's forces, get a location and then stage a rescue mission instead of going in blind and ending up as dead meat. As much as Sonic comes as a major priority, I'd rather save my hind than go on a suicide mission. I may be immortal, but I'm not indestructible."

"He has a point. Best we wait for information and then tell."

"OK."

XO

The Resistance base is underground and is fitted out with high amounts of technology and high amounts of medical, nutritional and combat supplies. New ones come in every week unless there are high amounts of raiding but we always have at least a month's backup. After all, the Resistance is made out of most of Sonic's friends. Knuckles is heading the Resistance as the main Commander and Silver is second-in-command, as he predicting the calamity and went to Knuckles for help. Amy handles communications. Tails is not here, of course. The Chaotix are a solo combat unit. Vector is the field leader, Charmy is an air scout and Espio does stealth and espionage missions, often solo. Blaze is here as well, as a backup fighter and, finally, Cream is a trained medic (she learned from the girls). Me, Rouge and Omega (who is currently AWOL following a failed mission in Green Hill Zone 3 months ago) form Team Dark, a solo strike force who, while being part of the Resistance, tend to stray solo and only answer to Knuckles on rare and important occasions. As Rouge, Maria and I enter, everyone is in a low mood from Eggman's "demoralizing" video that he continuingly broadcasts to get surrenders. It works. With no hope of Sonic's return, nearly everyone has lost hope. Only Rouge and I know better, but I know the most because I saw it happen.

"Hey, Shadow. Rouge." Amy false-smiles, eyes not looking up from the PC. Blaze is overlooking her, almost waiting to see if she messes up. That pink girl isn't the best with technology but with no Tails, she's the next best thing.

"Mr. Shadow! You have bruises!" Cream bounds up to me. She's the only one of the group I can actually STAND, mostly because she's so young and innocent. She tugs at my arm. "Let me look at you, OK? You might have other wounds."

"Alright, kid, alright." I let her drag me to the infirmary and notes a bleeding gash to my shoulder blade but at the back, so no-one has seen it yet. I naturally flinch as she places a cold wet cloth over it. Must have got scratched when our base in Metropolis caved in from Infinite's attack. "Hey, take it easy!"

"Sorry. It's gaping slightly so I have to apply pressure. Miss Rouge was right when she said you hate people hating you." Her Chao, Cheese, chirps in agreement. I roll my eyes as Cream removes the cloth and binds my shoulder with a bandage, clapping when she's finished. "There, all done Mr. Shadow! You're good as new!"

"Thanks…I guess." She doesn't notice as I mumbled the last bit but as she leaves the room, she stops, looking at me sadly.

"Is it true though? That Mr. Sonic's…?"

"I…I don't know. I haven't see the video so…I don't really know."

"Alright." She walks out, Cheese flying dejectedly on her shoulder. As I re-enter the room, everyone is huddled around Maria, asking her a million and one questions among other things. Angered, I pull her aside.

"Alright, you lot, break it up."

"We were just getting to know her!" Amy points out. I only glare and she backs off.

"She's not used to crowds, plus she's only young. Give her a break, Rose."

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry…"

"Yeah, I bet you are."

"Shadow, it's fine. I'm alright…though they were asking a lot of things."

"Who are you, anyway? A survivor?"

"Not exactly." She answers Blaze's question. "My name is Maria."

Gawks. A lot of them.

"Maria…as in…your Maria?" Amy gasps, eyes small in surprise. I shrug.

"Regenerative Experimentation."

"Wow…!"

"Who is Maria?" Silver asks but Blaze slaps him.

"Not a good thing to ask."

"Alright, Blaze, I was only wonderin'! Sheesh!"

"Mr. Insensitive."

"Miss Pyro."

"Mr. Rude."

"Miss Annoying."

"Lame insults, you guys!" Charmy pipes up. I face-palm. Rouge sweatdrops and Maria nervously smiles.

"Are they friends or enemies, Shadow?" Maria asks, confused. I shrug.

"Partners. They're dating, though I question where their relationship is actually AT."

"Noted." I look at Knuckles, who hasn't said a word.

"Have you heard anything from Tails, Knuckles?" I ask him directly. He only huffs and shakes his head.

"No, he won't pick up our transmissions. Can't say I blame him. Blue's disappearance has made him lose it. I'm sure Eggman is lying as per usual. Sonic has to be alright…he just has to…but he isn't picking up either…so I'm wondering if he had gotten hurt by that creep in the mask."

"Pardon?"

"The jackal in the mask. Amy, get visual from earlier." Amy nods and brings up a video of Infinite firing lasers at a small group of innocent civilians, all of them ending up dead as their pain-filled screams cut short. He chuckles and disappears and then the video loops but Amy takes it down. My fists clench.

"Monster."

"He's definitely a monster…we're not sure if he's a creation of Eggman or one of his commanders but he's heading up Eggman's core fleet."

"The next time I see him, I'm going to kill him."

"Do that and you'll end up as dead meat." The echidna warns. "No-one can you defeat him."

"Someone has to!"

"Yes, but we need a strategy! We can't run into this blind, which is what Sonic would foolishly do if he was here. Something tells me he is the reason behind Sonic's disappearance in the first place…"

"You're right…" I half-mumble. I'm too loud.

"What do you mean, I'm right? Do you know what's going on!?" Great. Everyone looks at me in wanting for answers.

"Alright. You want the truth? Here's the truth. That jackal is known as Infinite and he is the head of the Eggman Empire's army. He used to be known as Zero, a wanted criminal and mercenary. I fought him 9 months ago when I did a mission in Mystic Jungle, but his defeat drove him insane and he bound his soul with the Phantom Ruby, the jewel he wears on his chest. 6 months ago, he beat Sonic to a pulp and captured him with the intention of torturing him. I don't know where he is or if Sonic's still alive, but there, that's the whole story."

More gawks. Tears. 7 pairs of horror-filled eyes stare at me and it's enough to make me flinch slightly.

"T-Torture…?" Espio repeats, surprisingly calm but I see alarm is in his amber irises. When I nod, he looks down. "I see…so that is why he has gone missing…"

"Esp, how are you so damn calm!?" Vector demands.

"Is there a use to getting all riled up? We have to keep focused, though our main priority is saving Sonic from…what was his name, Shadow?"

"Infinite."

"Infinite. Save him from Infinite and Dr. Eggman."

"And how are we going to do that?" Silver ponders. "We don't know where he is."

"Silver's right. Without a location, there's nothing we can actually do." Knuckles scratches his head. "At least we know more now than we did earlier. Thanks for the information, Shadow."

"Hmph."

"If I may Knuxie…" Rouge interrupts. "…we could use biotech to track Sonic's life signs…it must appear somewhere on the map…"

"We would if we had any…bio-tech is extremely scarce to come by, let alone reliable."

"Damn…" She backs off when Knuckles shoots her idea down. She taps her chin. "…we could hack into Eggman's systems and see if any transmissions between him and Infinite lead to any clues."

"That might work." Amy beams. "We would have to use a sub-wave network to avoid being detected but doing that is the easiest way to hack into Eggman's network!"

"Not a bad idea, Rouge." Knuckles comments, nodding. He's hard to please, that echidna. "Amy, can you get on that?"

"Sure, Commander!" She types line after line of code until I hear a small and repetitive beeping sound enters my ears. It's high-pitched so my ears continue to twitch in annoyance. Rouge leaves the room; her ears are more sensitive since she's a bat, one of the most sensitive species. Eventually, Amy smiles. "Transmission in progress!"

"Get audio. Now."

"On it!" She loads the transmission. "There's a 3-second delay."

" _What do you mean, other dimensions!?"_ It's the Doctor's voice. Other dimensions? Infinite mentioned other dimensions.

" ** _It's like I told you. This world bores me, Doctor. No challenge, no worthy opponent to fight. Tormenting the blue child is still my priority, but I figured it would be more fun to destroy any and all universes I come across."_**

" _You're abandoning our plan!?"_

" ** _Only until the prototype is complete. Without a fully-stable Ruby, my powers are somewhat limited. I must ask this though, what is the use of a new Death Egg?"_**

"Death Egg?" Silver asks. Amy shudders.

"The Death Egg is an orbiting flying fortress that floats in Mobius's stratosphere. Sonic's dealt with it before but if he's rebuilt it, that's bad news for us."

" _It's what powers the Ruby! You know that! Ugh, fine, if you want to conquer other dimensions, be my guest! I have a hedgehog to talk to. How has the torture gone so far?"_

" ** _Broken and shamed, just like I planned. We no longer need him alive. He'll die soon enough."_**

" _I underestimated you. I thought it wouldn't work but it has perfectly!"_

" ** _You doubted me, Doctor?"_**

" _A little bit, I'll admit. Fine. We'll cut off all contact and supplies. He should be dead within a few days. Not even him can survive without food and whatnot."_

Amy cuts it off there. She's crying. Everyone but me, Rouge, Espio and Knuckles are.

"W-We have to get him out. Now!" Blaze alerts Knuckles, who nods.

"Agreed. Shadow, I'm leaving this mission to you and Silver."

Silver…why the hell do I have to work with Silver!? Not only do I hate his guts, but he is so…so… _Silver._ I can't argue with Knuckles though. I nod and I look at Silver.

"Let's do this."

"Yeah, let's."

XO

Entering the Death Egg is actually quite nerve-wracking. I'm good with stealth missions. I'm used to it. Silver, on the other hand, isn't as skilled. I have to keep one eye on him so he doesn't trip an alarm.

"We best check the imprisonment wing. Sonic will be there for sure." Silver tells me and I nod.

"Figured."

"Why do you hate me?"

"You're annoying and a child. End of."

"You're annoying too."

"Good. The feeling's mutual." As we sneak towards the imprisonment wing, something hits our ears. Shrill screams. Screams that makes my stomach do flips. "Holy Aurora…"

"T-That was Sonic…!? What are they doing to him!?"

"Follow me and be quick." I start running down one corridor with Silver flying alongside me. He can fly at the same speeds as Sonic and I, though he can't replicate that speed when he's running on land. As we sneak into the wing, the screams are louder, full of terror and traumatic horror. I can see a faint red light coming from around a corner that fades in and out. Infinite. I bundle Silver into the shadows as the jackal walks past. We hold our breath. He doesn't see nor sense us, thank god. I shush Silver and we continue, walking gently because the floor is metallic and would make a lot of noise. Each cell is filled with about 5 Mobians, each one bruised, bloodied and tortured, some of whom are actually dead or dying. Silver's whimpering. "Shush."

"Sorry…I-I just can't handle this."

"Guard from the air. I'll grab Faker." He nods at this and I teleported further up, hovering slightly and then lowering slowly to avoid noise. There is one single cell at the end. It's slightly bigger than the others but the bars are thicker and there is more security. There's no cameras or monitors. That's a good sign. It's almost pitch black apart from a faint cyan glow from within the cell itself. I can barely make out Sonic's form. "Sonic? Sonic, can you hear me? It's Shadow." I'm whispering. No reply. I fiddle with the lock but unlocking it causes a massive clunk to sound, making me jump and look around in slight paranoia, but no guards come running. I slide inside and I light up my hand with Chaos Energy to make a sort of lamp. My feet freeze.

Sonic's lying on the ground, cyan ring-like shackles binding his wrists and ankles. He's covered in scars, bruises, gashes and dried blood. He's skin and bone, limbs as thin as matchsticks. His quills are all bushy and unkempt and his fur is a blue-grey instead of the azure it was before. He even has untreated burns and wounds that have become infected. As I touch his arm, he's ice cold. I feel for a pulse. I luckily find one, but it's faint. As I try picking him up, he wiggles, slurred and terrified whimpers escaping his mouth. I shush him. Seeing him like this makes me want to be sick. What has Infinite done to him!? I gently pick him up. He's extremely light; unnaturally light. He's underweight, undernourished. He's…he's dying. Gritting my teeth, I run, not caring about the noise and I gesture to Silver. I activate my teleport and we're back in the City, where I immediately head to the Resistance HQ, where Rouge is guarding the entrance. As soon as she sees Sonic, her eyes grow wide and she hurries to open the door. Cream is banned from working on him due to her youth and it's Silver, Amy and Espio who hurry to stabilize him. Maria hugs me when she sees me.

"You OK?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm more worried about Sonic." I think to what Infinite said about breaking Sonic's spirit. Physical torture wouldn't be enough…what if he's been tortured psychologically? That sort of damage is eternal; it's going to stay with him until he dies. "You don't need to worry about me."

A sudden scream comes from the infirmary, one of panic and trauma. Espio, Silver and Amy hurry out in a huddle, all alarmed.

"What?" I jog over to them. "What's wrong?"

"He just…screamed…" Amy whispers, badly shaking. "He saw us for a split second and flew into a frenzy."

"He can't be thinking straight." Silver suggests, peering into the infirmary. "I mean…considering the state he was in, he's got to be traumatized and weak, so maybe his thoughts and memories are a little foggy."

"I suppose it's possible." Espio agrees. "Shadow, maybe you should talk to him. He might open up to you." I know what he's getting at and I nod.

"Worth a shot." They move aside and I quietly enter the room. Sonic's tightly latched into a defensive ball, his form quivering underneath the sheets, quills out in defense. As I edge closer, I can hear him whimpering, hands over his ears, eyes scrunched up. I have to tread carefully. "…Sonic?" He jumps and his ball tightens. I kneel by him to make myself smaller. "It's alright." I don't touch him. That's the worst thing I can do, considering what he's been through. I'm speaking gently to avoid him freaking out. It sort-of works. He unravels and peeks at me, eyes out of focus but they try hard to latch onto me. He looks away, shaking his head almost in disbelief. He mumbles something but I can't tell what the words are. I try meeting his gaze. Almost in anger, his hand pushes me away, making me land on my back because I was too slow to dodge. He's sitting up now, huffing in effort, hands shaking. He's looking at me almost in hate, but I can see something's wrong with his eyes. They're dark and unseeing. As I stand, he watches my every move in paranoia, eyes flickering back and forth. I back away and he slightly calms down but his fur bristles. "What's wrong?" I ask, trying not to sound like I'm his enemy. He looks confused by the question. He hasn't spoken to me yet, which is a little odd. I make the mistake of stepping forward and he hisses in a feral manner, fangs bared (yes, hedgehogs do have small fangs), hands ready to claw at me. His behavior is both puzzling but, at the same time, intriguing. I inch forward again and he backs away, hissing more in warning. I back off but I bend down. Hedgehogs have a unique communication method. I begin making small animalistic noises, our native tongue. He backs down, fur falling back down to normal levels as his fear dissolves and he makes the noises back in response. He's safe to approach, but I only inch nearer. He doesn't react. As long as I don't get too close, it's all fine. "It's alright, Sonic, you can tell me what's wrong." I mutter quietly. He's conflicted, but he eventually decides to talk.

"…Y-You're n-n-not real…"

"Not real?" I cock my head to one side. Sonic's good at one thing: confusion. "How am I not real?" He looks at me as if I'm dumb.

"Y-You died…you all died…how are you here!? You're dead…you're all dead!" He screams, clutching his head almost in agony as he screams at the top of his lungs. As much as I know physical contact isn't going to help, I rush over and I cradle him in my arms. Sure, he screams more and violently tries to wiggle me off but I refuse. Eventually, he senses the fact I'm not going to let go and stops struggling against me but he starts wailing in anguish as well as burying his face in the pillow. Infinite's doing, no doubt. Lies and psychological torture to make him less likely to fight back. It actually worked. The world's hero…reduced to this. It's just wrong on so many moral levels.

"I'm really real, Sonic. I'm not some illusion or hallucination; it's really me." He looks up at me, teary-eyed.

"You…you are really here?" When I nod, he shakes his head. "No, you're not…"

"Yes, I am." I correct, placing a hand on his own, which makes him blink. "Hallucinations can't touch you, right?" His eyes brighten. He suddenly latches onto me, sobbing but this time in a more joyous mood. Infinite must have given him false news of the warfare; continuously saying we were dead, that we were never coming for him. Loneliness is Sonic's weakness; he depends on his friends; friendship is what keeps him going. Without them, he's a shell, devoid of heroic spirit. That sort of torture for 6 months must have destroyed his sense of reality. Judging by how much he insisted I wasn't real, he might have had continuous nightmares of us as well as hallucinations and psychotic episodes involving psychosis. Maybe he heard voices or had blackouts/flashbacks? I'm only listing the possibilities. He then lets go.

"I-If…if you're real…then the others…?"

"Are real too. No-one's dead, I promise. Everyone's alive and safe."

"Tails…I didn't see Tails…"

"He's out there somewhere but communication is scarce. He's alive, I know that much, but his whereabouts are unknown." He screams again, ferally hissing to himself as well as fruitlessly kicking and squirming until his screams grow into hoarse gasps as his throat sounds like it's raw. I stroke his quills. Hedgehogs like that. It's a calming mechanism. He slowly grows silent, breathing in a panicked way.

"My fault…" He rasps, his voice wavering and broken. "…He's gone…it's my fault…"

"No, it isn't!" I insist. "It wasn't your fault…none of this is your fault!" He doesn't listen. He scrunches back into his ball like he was at the beginning and nothing I do gets a reaction, neither physical nor verbal. Eventually, I realize he needs some time alone and I walk out of the room. I turn to the group, who look at me earnestly for information. "Everyone needs to be very cautious around Sonic right now, am I clear? He's psychologically damaged and emotionally unstable. I don't know if he'll heal but the sooner we find Tails, the better. The fact he's not here is really scary for him."

"We have scouts looking for him." Knuckles reports. "Has Sonic actually said anything meaningful?"

"The reason he screamed when Silver, Espio and Amy were in there is because, partly in thanks to the torture, Infinite managed to install the idea to him that we were dead and were never coming for him, so he had a strong belief that we were all either illusions or his hallucinations, though he doesn't think that anymore. Furthermore, he's blaming himself for Tails' vanishing act…so we need a suicide watch."

"A…A what!?"

"It's not that surprising." Espio counters Amy's exclamation. Muttering the "S" word, so to speak, is extremely rare and is usually used to describe impossible missions, usually involving Sonic and his recklessness. "Considering what he's been through, it's possible he'll try and get out through whatever means if the pain gets too much for him. Shadow's right. A regular post is needed. Charmy and Cream will be excluded from this of course. Maria also. Also Amy, seeing as I doubt she would be able to hold her nerve." Amy shrugs at this, not bothered.

"Alright, I think we should do 3 hours shifts, meaning 1 shift a day for each person. I'll start drawing up a rota." She notes, beginning to start a table document on the PC. She dedicates me, Rouge and Knuckles to night watches because we're all good with operating on little rest. Blaze and Silver are mornings and the rest the afternoon and evening. By the end, the rota looks like this:

 _Midnight to 3am: Shadow_

 _3am to 6am: Rouge_

 _6am to 9am: Blaze_

 _9am to 12pm: Silver_

 _12pm to 3pm: Vector_

 _3pm to 6pm: Espio_

 _6pm to 9pm: Fuchsia_

 _9pm to Midnight: Knuckles_

"Who is Fuchsia?" I ask, seeing the unfamiliar name.

"She's one of the newbies. I'm sure she'll help out." At that moment, the doors open and a pink cat slinks inside, a purple gun of sorts on her hand.

"God, there's so many…" She trails off mid-sentence as she sees everyone looking a bit in thought. "…um, am I missing something?" She sees me, Rouge and Maria. "Are these newbies?"

"Not exactly. This is Team Dark. Meet Shadow, Rouge, and Maria. This is Fuchsia. She's our resident rookie."

"I've told you I hate that nickname, Commander Knuckles." Fuchsia groans. She's around the same age as Espio, with purple eyes and white patches on her body. She sees the document as she goes to greet Amy. "Suicide rota? What the heck is this?" Knuckles pulls her aside and explains the entire situation. When he's finished, she's in shock but she nods. "Sure, I'll help. When do you want me to do watch?"

"We're doing 3-hour shifts. 6 to 9 in the evening is your slot. Is that alright?"

"Sounds good to me. What time is it now?"

"About…4:45?"

"Alright then…it's my shift then." Espio nods. "I'll call you at 6 then, OK Fuchsia?"

"Alright."

XO

I'm woken by an alarm. I look at the time. 5:30 in the morning. Rouge would be getting to the end of her shift. I jump up and realize the alarm isn't the emergency one. Knuckles installed an alarm in case the person on shift gets suicidal behaviour off Sonic, and the fact that very alarm is actually ringing sets me into motion. I'm the last one there. Silver's actually gone inside the infirmary and Rouge is outside, badly shaking, which is rare for someone of her personality and history.

"Rouge!?" I rush over.

"Shadow!"

"What happened!?"

"I…I don't know…he…I don't know…I didn't see…"

"Well, what did you see?"

"Blood. A lot of it. From his neck…I…I couldn't see any weapon or anything he could have used except his nails but it was his quill. He used his quill. I couldn't stop the bleeding so I rang the alarm."

"You did what you could. We'll find out the whys later. The important thing is getting him stable."

"Already have." Silver sighs, stepping outside the infirmary with wet hands, having washed the blood of them. "He's alright."

"Thank god."

"Good thing I DID fit that alarm." Knuckles muses, not happy in the slightest. "Alright, we'll stop the watch until Sonic wakes up. What's his status, Silver?"

"Alive, thank goodness for that. I tried waking him up but got nowhere. He's not responding to anything around him."

"You mean…Sonic's in a coma?" Blaze asks fearfully. Silver dejectedly nods. The room's silent.

"Infinite…" Amy mutters, her hammer popping into existence. "I WANNA KILL HIM!"

"We all do, Amy, but if we tried we'll end getting stomped into space bits."

"Fine, Commander." She made her hammer disappear and she trudged out of the room. Everyone followed.

"Shadow…?" Maria tugs at me.

"What? What is it?"

"I feel…I feel tingly."

As soon as she says that, I get the feeling as well. My entire body feels like it's electrified and everything goes black.

XO

When I come to, I'm not in the Resistance base anymore. It's some sort of garden, with golden roses growing in silver soil. The sky is a beige-golden with white clouds and a white sun. Soft mist is swirling around me. I see Maria waking up a few inches from me, groggily rubbing her head. No-one else is here. It's just me and her.

"You alright?" I ask, helping her to her feet. She's shaky but she nods.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Welcome, mortals." Comes a new voice. Walking towards us is a golden hedgehog with extremely long quills. She's wearing a silver gown and has a tiara on her head. Her eyes are brown and she has multiple rings on each arm as well as royal gloves. She bows. "It is my greatest pleasure to welcome you to my dimension."

"Y-Your dimension?"

"That is correct, Shadow."

"You know our names."

"I do, indeed. I assure you, I mean you no harm. I have seen the devastation Infinite has inflicted upon your world. His existence is starting to harm other dimensions and alternate realities and this cannot continue, so I brought you here to help me gather the Soul Plates."

"What are Soul Plates?" Maria asks.

"Soul Plates are happiness and hope bound into a solid metallic form. There are 300 in existence. We must uncover them all."

"Why so many?"

"To discourage others from trying to collect them. The sheer number of them would drive anyone to the brink of despair."

"Look…er…"

"Aeon."

"Aeon, right. Look, Aeon, we have a crisis of our own. Infinite inflicted a large amount of pain on a friend of mine, OK? Our disappearance, mine especially, isn't going to help matters."

"I assure you, when you return to your dimension, little time will have passed."

"You can promise that?"

"I am a Time Goddess, Shadow. Manipulating time is child's play. However, Infinite threatens even here, a place few have heard of, let alone reach. This pocket of space is one of many dimensions in danger."

"OK, so how do we collect the Soul Plates?" It is Maria who inquires this. Aeon leads us inside to a massive map, each with a silver dot to represent a world. The big one in the center is ours, I can tell. Mobius Prime, our dimension, is the center of the multiverse and the others are alterations, mirrors or copies of our zone. They're called zones on Mobius. The common one I've heard of is Moebius, the "Anti-Mobius". I swear to God that we don't go there. I don't want to listen to Scourge's taunts after what has happened. There is Blaze's dimension as well as Silver's. They came to our dimension to help the war effort.

"Soul Plates linger in everyday items." Aeon explains. "They are invisible and undetectable to the naked eye but through courage and resolve, they can be unlocked. Each dimension you travel to will have a challenge or problem for you or others to face, be it battling a villain, erasing misfortune or helping a person overcome their personal challenges. Solve that problem and a Soul Plate will be your reward. I only have one thing to bestow upon you, in particular, Maria, you with no means of defense. To you, I bestow the element of water. I hope you will use it to flood misfortune and evil alike away for all eternity." A blue shard flies and embeds itself in Maria's chest, shining a rich azure as a sudden shot of water shoots from Maria's extended hand as she flicks it forward to try out her new powers.

"Thank you." She bows gratefully. Aeon chuckles and forms a bubble.

"Before each mission, I will show you a glimpse into the dimension you will enter. Behold…your first mission." We look into the ball.

I see snow. Endless snow falling from a clouded grey sky. In a snow-covered valley sits a castle made of ice and rock, a flag signifying a spiked snowflake as a symbol of the kingdom. Some ice king? Queen? Inside, I see a grey Mobian husky dressed in a dress similar to Aeon's but her tiara is made from icicles. She knocks on a door but gets no reply. I see what is in the other room. A hedgehog figure, crying. His cape is covered in icicles. With each broken sob, the castle grows colder and more covered in ice. He then loses it, a shrill scream of anguish escaping his throat. The snow gets ever heavier and the wind picks up, making the climate ever colder. I see a red-haired chipmunk with a scarred eye watching the castle in hatred, fists clenched as she draws out battle plans. I see the hedgehog rise and exit the room as he moves towards the courtyard, where a statue stands tall. I peer closer. It looks like…me. It's me. I see the hedgehog up close. Blue quills, gleaming emerald eyes.

…Sonic.

The vision fades. Aeon flicks her hand and a portal appears.

"Your mission is not timed. Take as much time as is needed but I must warn you, Infinite may find you if you delay too long. You must save this land from the endless winter that it has been consumed in. Are you ready to take on this task?" We nod and enter the portal, not really knowing what we are getting in for.

 **ED: SABLE by angela (M3: That Black Steel)**


	2. Mission 1: Arctic Love

**OP: Color by MARiA (Freezing)**

 **Most, if not all, chapters from here on out contain OCs or Mobian-turned characters owned by other companies.**

 **The song is "Hold Me" by Azerbaijani artist Fabid Mammadov (sung in 2013's Eurovision)**

 **Chapter uses elements from Disney's Frozen, Juvia's Water Lock spell from Fairy Tail and, if you have the imagination, some elements of Beauty and the Beast.**

 **XO**

When we land, we land in a snow drift. A deep one, so at first, all I see is white. I manage to pop my head out, followed by Maria. I get out first, shaking the white powder from my body. Maria follows, though she's badly shivering. I look angrily skyward.

"Could have provided winter clothes, Aeon!" Almost as if she heard me, clothes appear on our persons. Maria's now got azure earmuffs, a duffle coat and winter boots and gloves to match. I'm wearing a red jacket, black striped scarf and hiking boots. It's better than nothing. "Thank you, I guess." We start treading towards a village, but it's like a ghost town. Many buildings are snowed in or frozen ice sculptures. There are many snowmen lining the streets, almost macabre-like. What's even scarier is that the stone eyes seem to follow us and they blink.

"I…I don't like this Shadow." Maria whimpers, huddling up to me both from fear and the cold. It's bloody freezing. What is this, the North Pole? I ruffle her head in an attempt to calm her nerves.

"We'll be fine. As soon as we confront the Sonic of this dimension, we'll get the Soul Plate and be on our way."

"Yeah but still…it's too…I don't know…simple, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" I stop walking.

"Think about it. Soul Plates are hard to find. Just "talking" to this universe's Sonic like you said seems too straight-forward. Too easy. There has to be more to it."

"I guess you have a point…and looks like I found the castle." I point up on a nearby mountain. Stationed on it is the ice castle from the vision, its icy form blending in well with the mountainous landscape, almost like a cyan camouflage. I see the spiked snowflake that is the king's emblem. It's gently snowing so the cold is not as intense as I had imagined.

"Pssst. Hey. You with the stripes!" I look around. A figure is gesturing to us and I recognise her as the one-eyed chipmunk from the vision. Up close, she looks identical to Sally, a childhood friend of Sonic who is actually Princess of Mobius but she went missing during the initial raids (2 weeks before I met Infinite for the first time). She looks identical but has very long auburn hair, one scarred eye and she's wearing a blue jumpsuit with a black jacket and sneakers, as well as no gloves and azure rings around her wrists. "What are you doing out in the open!? If the King's guards caught you, you'd be frozen like the others!"

"Frozen?" I repeat, utterly confused. "And what others?"

"Are you dumb or something?" She snaps, as we go over to her like she asked. She rolls her eyes and dramatically points to the lines of snowmen. "The snowmen! Stuck in an icy tomb, slowly freezing to death…it's the worst act of torture you can go through." I beg to differ, though being frozen with no means to escape does sound pretty bad. "How can you not know that!?"

"OK, OK, I'm sorry! And you are…?"

"Zara. Zara Acorn." Zara nods, now actually smiling. "And you are…?"

"Shadow. This is Maria."

"Shadow…? As in…THE Shadow the Hedgehog!?"

"Um…y-yes."

"This. Is. Perfect! If you're alive, then maybe you can bring Sonic to his senses!"

"Whoa, Zara, whoa. I'm not _that_ Shadow. Maria and I are from an alternate universe. We're kind of on a multiverse mission."

"Oh…" Zara's shoulders sag. "…I was getting excited over nothing."

"Zara!" She turns around and I see a very familiar pink hedgehog. "It's nearly patrol time. We best hide. Quickly!" She looks like Amy but is wearing a red thermic top with black leggings and red winter boots. She has no hammer but she has a double-barrelled pistol in a belt. Badass much?

"Rogar that, Rosalind." Seriously, Rosalind? This universe is bad with names. Zara pulls me and Maria down as two Mobian bloodhounds dressed in white and blue armour march across the streets, blue jewels around their necks and they have guns. Their eyes flicker from side-to-side, cautiously watching for any movement or, more specifically, for us. I see that their guns are pretty flimsy, if not old-fashioned, meaning a good stealth attack would be it to finish them off. I crack my knuckles. I get ready to speed towards them, Chaos Spear in hand.

"They should be easy to take out."

"No, we can't!" Rosalind urges, pulling me back down, earning in me landing awkwardly on my back at an awkward angle. "Take them out and the King will get mad."

"What happens when he gets mad? Does that really matter?"

"Blizzard. A bad one. His emotions affect the weather, you see. We won't be able to get supplies for weeks afterwards. Provoking emotion from the King is the worst act we could commit." We watch the guards double back on their patrol, obviously nearly done. I then see a young boy, a Mobian penguin of around 6, throw a snowball at one of the guards' heads and laughs, only to cry when the guard who didn't get hit grabs him by the coat collar.

"Little whelp, aren't you? Don't you know violence against the royal guards is treason!?" I wouldn't call a snowball throw violence. It's a thing kids do. They need to lighten up.

"He's a kid, Ewiln." The second guard mutters, shaking the snow from him. At least they're not all bullies. Ewin glares at his comrade. "Let him go. He was only having a little fun." Ewiln, after some hesitation and much reluctance, lets the kid go but stares at him hard.

"I have my eye on you, you little twit. Get lost." The kid fearfully runs but stops, pulling an angered face as well as throwing a snowball in Ewiln's face.

"He's not even the real king! Alexa should be Queen!" Who is Alexa? Heir to the throne?

"Right. Daren, alert the king." Shock runs through Daren's eyes.

"But…but Ewiln…!"

"Now!" Ewiln re-catches the kid. As soon as Daren says the word "treason" into a transceiver, a harsh wind kicks up as a new figure enters the street, cloak camouflaged against the snow. We're shivering manically as the temperature dangerously drops. The hedgehog's eyes stand out against all the white; a magnificent emerald. It's him. This universe's Sonic. Ice has covered the tips of his quills, tail and ears as well as white specks around his eyes. He has a white uniform on made of ice-like fibres. A silver crown lines his head. He looks way older than our Sonic. He's at least late-twenties or early-thirties. The kid squeals at the sight of him, tears running down his face, trying desperately to wiggle out of Ewiln's iron grip but that isn't happening. All this just for one little comment. I feel really sorry for him.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! Please…I-I don't wanna die…" He whimpers. Sonic's silent for a moment, taking in the kid's age and emotions before an evil smirk crosses his muzzle.

"Don't worry, little one. Your death will is slow. I'm not heartless enough to kill instantly. I like my victims to repent before they die. It's more entertainin' that way." He mutters, a sadistic grin replacing the smirk on his face as he places a finger underneath the child's chin. He's making me feel sick. I get that Scourge is evil but this? This is downright sickening to watch. I mean, he's essentially threatening a child, a CHILD, with death just for a slip of the tongue. It's more sickening to hear him speak the slang that he has always spoken as well. That and villainy just doesn't mix. He turns to Ewiln. "Who is he, anyway?"

"I…I don't know, sire." He admits in embarrassment. Sonic loudly groans in annoyance, his body language highly suggesting high agitation levels.

"Useless! The pair of ya!" Disgust enters his eyes. He rages for a few more seconds before he manages to calm down and faces the kid. "What's your name then, kiddo?"

"…A-Aiden…"

"And how old are you, Aiden?"

"6…"

"Awwww…and where's your mummy now?" He's putting on a baby voice, almost in mocking. Aiden gulps.

"At home…with daddy and Aissa."

"Aissa?"

"My big sister." He clicks at something. "Please, don't hurt them! They didn't do anything."

"I have no intention of that, Aiden, my boy." He laughs. "After all, like you said, only you committed an offence. Of course, you have a choice. Snowman…or dungeon?"

"I'd rather _die_ than be locked up." Personally…I would have chosen dungeon. What's so bad about it? It must be better than a frozen tomb, right? Sonic spits and slaps the child in the face, disappointment in his eyes. Aiden starts crying but gets shaken by Ewiln to shut him up.

"Pity. I thought children would be smarter than adults but alas, they are not. You have resigned yourself to a fate worse than death: I don't need to get your parents and sister involved. I shall inform them shortly on your demise. This is the ultimate price for defiance. You will be locked in a frozen tomb until you die from the cold. Succumb to the freezing embrace of death." His hand glows cyan and a white powder escapes it but floats. Magic. No, arctickinesis. The ability to manipulate and create snow and ice. How did he get powers like that? The power envelopes Aiden and he screams. His body becomes white and spherical until only a snowman remains. Only its eyes move. Sonic grins before prodding its carrot nose. "That is what you get for defying your King. Daren, Ewiln, back to patrol and DON'T make me come out here again." He disappears in a teleport. I'm so riled up that I need to punch something. The ground will do. I kick it multiple times before I'm able to even remotely relax but Maria, Rosalind and Zara giving me weird looks.

"I have to punch something to release stress, alright!?" I exclaim, crossing my arms. They all shrug.

"There you go, though." Zara moans. "That is what Sonic has become."

"What made him go all ice-crazy?" Maria asked.

"Grief. Grief from your death…well, our universe's Shadow anyway." Zara looks at me sadly, obviously talking about me.

"…What…?"

"Following the Space Colony ARK incident that resulted in you sacrificing yourself to save Sonic after his Super form cut out accidently, he began experiencing PTSD. No-one could blame him. He had feelings for our Shadow…of the romantic kind. He never got to confess and that guilt began tearing him apart. That and the fact he blamed himself for his crush's demise was crushing him from the inside out. After a few weeks, the Overland releases plans to cover the incident up, which Sonic wasn't happy with. Sure, he got all the glory as always but our Shadow got omitted. Project: Shadow was a closely-guarded secret and the Overland didn't want Shadow mentioned in the report of the incident. If nothing else had transpired from that, maybe this wouldn't have happened…but the Acorn Council, headed by my older brother King Edward Acorn and his wife Lady Consort Meghan Acorn, began drafting plans to omit Shadow themselves on the basis of punishing him for his "villainous" tendencies even after his own death and that, in the end, it was ultimately Shadow's fault the ARK calamity happened. I tried to stop them making the decision but Sonic got there before I did. Murdered everyone on the council…including my brother. The only survivor was my niece, Princess Alexa, whom I raised myself in both their memories. Sonic suffers from a powerful condition known as Emotional Detachment that grants him vast elemental power powered by his broken heart. He built his own empire and rules the entire globe. Those who disobey him either become snowmen, slowly freezing to death, or get put in his dungeon, where they get tortured. Either way, you die a slow and painful death, forever suffering even when you die."

My mouth's gaping. Same for Maria. We exchange nervous looks. That is one heck of a story. I'm not sure if I should hate this universe's Sonic or feel sorry for him. Him having feelings for me? Are you kidding? That wouldn't ever happen!

"You…you serious?" I choke out, the words not coming out like I hoped.

"I wouldn't kid about such things." Zara admits, standing up as the guards finish their patrol and head back towards the castle. "Sonic is nothing more than a monster and, one day, we shall end this endless winter."

"He caused the winter?"

"It's technically June right now. It's like I said. His condition means the weather depends on his emotions, but the length of time that has passed since his madness means Mobius is forever locked in ice. Kill him and you will restore summer."

"No-one is killing anyone! That is not what this is about! At the end of the day, I have a gut instinct that this isn't Sonic's fault. He lost control. It happens. Believe me, I know first-hand." I'm thinking of Sonic's dark form, someone who is so devoid of mercy and humanity that it would take a lot of effort to even be on equal standing. Luckily, he only transformed once and it was the Doctor who calmed him down before the transformation was complete. This is when the Meterex, aliens who stole "Planet Eggs" for harvest reasons, attacked Mobius. I was still working for the Doctor then, not having all my memories. Sonic and friends had joined forces with an Overlander genius, Chris, and the last surviving member of the Seedrian race, Cosmo (who I, much to my regret today, tried to kill after I found she was a spy for the Meterex, even if it was against her will). A Meterex called Black Narcissus kidnapped Chris and Cosmo and the anger made Sonic transform, partly due to there being hundreds of fake Chaos Emeralds. I'm snapped out of the memory when Zara taps me, glaring at me. Her eyes are like daggers.

"Got any better ideas?"

"Yes, actually. What if me and Maria enter the castle and just talk to him. He might mistake me for his Shadow and that might calm him down." Zara and Rosalind exchange nervous looks before I get two resigned shrugs.

"Fine. Go ahead. Don't blame me if he kills you when he finds out your trickery."

"I'll prove you wrong. Maria, let's go."

"Right." I grab her hand and we head up the mountain to the castle. It takes only 10 minutes. The gates are closed. Go figure. I see two guards chatting on the battlements but they stop when they see us.

"Halt!" One yells, and we immediately cease walking. "State your identity and business!"

"This is the Ice Castle! Civilians are not welcome here unless you have special permission!" The second one shouts.

"My name is Shadow the Hedgehog and this is Maria. We're here to see the King."

"Shadow…!? As in…THE Shadow…!?" The first guard gawks. Before he gets an answer, he turns to the second guard. "Quill, go get the King's attention on the double!"

"Yes, sir!" Quill exclaims, running off. The first guard turns back to me.

"My apologies for the cold welcome, sire. Please give us one minute." He disappears.

"That was relatively straight-forward." I muse. Maria sighs.

"Maybe this mission will be simple…" The gates loudly creak and very slowly open. A cold mist greets us, but I see the clouds above the castle are starting to part and, much to my amazement, a single beam of sunlight bounces off the icy structure. It's not melting, but it warms up the air slightly, like a frosty autumn morning. The first guard appears again, saluting.

"The entire castle is open to you and your friend, sire!" He reports. "The King will receive you in the Throne Room. One of the maids will direct you there."

"Thank you." I thank and I head inside. We enter a garden of sorts. Cyan roses dot bushes and the trees are frosted and have lights dangling from them. A white pavilion stand is in the middle alongside streams full of fish despite the cold. The snow isn't as thick and comes up to the top of my foot. It's like something out of a fairy tale.

"Shadow…this place is beautiful." Maria is in awe, but I feel something cold thwack against my cheek when I don't immediately reply due to me also being enchanted by what I'm seeing. She threw a snowball at me. I shake the snow off me, playfully glaring.

"Not here. Remember, we're on a mission."

"I know. Doesn't mean I can't have fun." She's pouting. I then see the statue of myself, tall and in a heroic position. A plaque is beneath, the letters written clear as day but my attention is distracted. Bouquets of the cyan roses are scattered on the small steps leading up to it as well as two silver rings, the same as my Inhibitor Rings but a different colour. Strange. I read the message written on the plaque.

 _Here lies Shadow, a hero to only me alone. May his soul forever rest in peace._

"He really does care about you, huh?" Maria mumbles, a smile on her face. I silently nod. It's a sweet gesture, I'll give him that. Now I'm sure. He really is the victim here, not the villain. This could have gone further but we then enter the castle and a rabbit maid greets us. Something about her is familiar. Beige fur, brown eyes, brown locks down her back, a sweet smile…couldn't be…!?

"Welcome, loyal guest." She bows. "My name is Mera."

"Mera…?" She's this universe's Cream…and she looks like she is in her early twenties now. 20? 21? Something like that? She chuckles and starts walking, gesturing us to follow. We're interrupted by a sort of explosion from a tower further up the castle, a cyan blast alongside a shrill howl. Mera gasps and looks out the window as guards and maids run about like headless chickens. The sky suddenly goes dark, slow flurries of snow falling down from the black clouds. Mera bites her lip.

"Stay here. Both of you." She directs, running off towards the tower. We do as she asks until, 10 minutes later, she comes back, grey in the face.

"What's going on?" I demand, voice loud. She flinches and sheepishly twiddles her fingers.

"It's kind of hard to explain…you are aware of our King's powers, correct? And how they work?"

"They relate to his emotions. We know this, yes."

"There is a second stage to them. Extreme emotions, such as rage or despair, can trigger, at least this is what the King calls them, "energy overloads"."

"That sounds a little deadly." Maria shakes. Mera nods at this.

"They don't happen often, but when they happen, it drastically weakens the King, almost like it makes him ill. It only lasts a day or so but he needs constant care in case anything arises. If the Resistance realizes that dark clouds symbolize weakness and not anger, then the King's life may be in peril." She finishes with a sigh. "But, I expected that to happen. After I told him you were here, he went a little…um…nuts."

"Nuts?"

"Well…more like sobbing in joy but you get what I mean. He wants to see you. Both of you." She leads us to a long corridor where two guards are stationed at a cyan metal door marked with the same snowflake as the flag, decorated with white metal. They see Mera and us and then they back down, saluting. Mera knocks three times on the door. "Sire, it's Mera. I've brought them."

"…Enter." I recognise Sonic's voice but it sounds off-key, weak, broken. The doors open on their own. Mera forcefully pushes us inside, grinning innocently before rushing off. The doors close behind us with a forceful slam.

"That was a little rude…" Maria huffs. I look around. It's a bedroom of sorts, circular in shape with two windows and a large king-sized bed at the end of the room with someone half-sitting up in it. Guess who? He looks different. Kinder almost. His eyes aren't as merciless as earlier (despite them being half-open) and he has a faint red face from the "happy sobs" that Mera described. He's actually smiling. He gestures to us to come forward. To be really honest, I'm slightly nervous, which is a new feeling. When I am ever unnerved by anything or anyone!? He notices this and hoarsely laughs.

"I'm not gonna bite, y'know."

"You're not?" Maria is hiding behind me. Sonic's face turns from a smile to confusion.

"Who's the kid?"

"Oh, this is Maria." She shyly waves hello. "She's like a sister to me."

"I see." Comes a mused reply. "And no, Maria, I ain't gonna hurt ya. I only hurt those who cross me."

"Like that child?" I mentally slap her. Sonic freezes, looking away.

"…Y-You saw that?"

"We both did." Maria. Seriously. Stop. Talking. Sonic starts shaking, hands over his mouth in horror. I notice the weather gets colder but the snow stops falling and is replaced by a harsh wind that encircles him like a tornado. He's scared. Really scared. If he does have feelings for me, he's scared I now hate him. With no way that a verbal response is going to calm him down (out of experience, it's just an assumption), I wander over to him and, against my better judgment, wrap him in my arms as I hug him. The whirlwind slows and disappears. I'm surprised though. I expected him to be really cold but he's actually quite warm, like a radiator. He flinches when I touch him but he doesn't resist. In fact, he hugs me back, tears streaming down his face in a torrent. I find myself smiling. In a way, none of this is his fault. Love blinded him to a point of him being driven near insane from it and now his powers mean he is forced into a life of isolation, being hated by the people he saw as family and friends. He can't do that alone. Not even I could do that. He wipes the tears away, face red in embarrassment.

"…I…"

"Don't say anything. You don't need to."

"But…heh, look at me sobbin' like a child." He sniffs, a false smile across his face. "I just…I thought if you found out, you'd hate me like everyone else."

"Believe me, I've met worse characters in my life."

"Fair enough." He then looks at me closely. "I expected that. I mean…you're not my Shadow."

"…What?" I'm taken aback. He can tell at a glance?

"You're not my Shadow. Your rings are golden, not silver. Your manner is more blunt and your voice is deeper too…I noticed straight-off." Of course. Those rings…they belonged to his Shadow. Makes sense. Different dimensions tend to have these slight differences. When the ARK incident happened in our dimension, Sonic kept one of my rings as a keepsake and gave it back to me when we faced Neo Metal Sonic 6 months later.

"Great…now he's going to kill us."

"Nah, I won't." He assures Maria. "Your brother looks too much like my Shadow for me to do that. Besides, I can't use my powers at the moment anyway." He then spasms in pain, almost on cue, earning in my protective instincts kicking in.

"What's wrong!?" I ask in alarm, catching him as he falls sideways, eyes falling closed. His breathing's shaky but stable. I gently lie him down and I tuck the cyan sheets around him, making sure he's still breathing normally. I feel his forehead. I'm greeted by immense heat. Fever. He has a high fever. I turn to Maria. "Get a guard or someone." She nods and knocks on the door. One of the guards answers the door but immediately sees what's wrong before Maria can explain.

"My lord!" He runs forward, assessing Sonic without delay. "Delphine, get the doctor quickly."

"On it!" I hear a female voice answer and a few minutes later, a Mobian tabby cat, runs in, ordering us to leave the room. As we wait outside, the female husky from the vision comes running, though she's unbalanced due to high-heeled shoes.

"Are you two behind this!?"

"Behind what!? I snap back, taking her aback. She backs off.

"Sorry…I thought…never mind. My name is Antarctica."

"Shadow. This is Maria."

"You're not my husband's Shadow, are you?"

"Well, no but…" I freeze, not sure if I heard her right.. "…husband?"

"Yeah." I see a ring on her finger. It's silver with three diamond on it, all three freshly shined.

"OK, wait one second…Sonic's _married_!?"

"Is it really that surprising?" Maria asks, somewhat peeved off. "He is older than our Sonic, so it would make sense."

"It wasn't for love." Antarctica sadly smiles. "He needed a queen and I agreed. I thought good would come from his reign. I thought I could keep his emotional state stable."

"Mommy!" I hear a shrill female voice as a young husky, around the age of 5, comes running, crying. An older hedgehog, who is grey and azure striped, comes running after, snowball in hand, giggling. She throws and it hits the younger female in the head, knocking her over. She then wails. Antarctica growls.

"Flurry! I've told you to be careful around Blizzard. She's half your age!"

"But mom! She's no fun to play with!"

"FLURRY! You're grounded until tomorrow. Room. Now." She picks up Blizzard and Flurry storms off, fists clenched, clearly pissed. She looks around 10 or 11, further evident by the fact Blizzard is half her age. "Sorry about that."

"Who is this, mommy?" Blizzard asks, pointing.

"This is Shadow. He's a friend of daddy."

"Oh, right! Daddy's fwiend!" She has a really bad lisp. "I'm Blizzawd. Who is the wellow hedgehog?"

"I'm Maria."

"Mawia! Shadow and Mawia! Can we be fwiends?"

"Sure, I guess so."

"Yay!" She jumps out of her mother's arms and dances off, obviously in a high mood.

"Sonic has daughters?"

"3. Blizzard is the youngest at 5, Flurry is the eldest at 11 and Snowflake is the middle child at 8. Of course, that is not including Gale and Storm. Gale was my eldest from a previous marriage. He's 17. Storm is only a few months old." Maria coos at this but I just roll my eyes. The bedroom door opens and the tabby cat comes out, sighing.

"He'll be OK, Your Highness. The fever's from over-exertion. It should diminish by this evening or tomorrow morning, depending how much rest he gets." Antarctica nods at this as the doctor takes his leave. At that moment, a grey husky male comes running, royal blue cloak behind him. He has sharp amber eyes.

"Mother!"

"Gale, what's the matter?"

"I heard from Flurry…Dad's ill? How bad!?"

"It's just a nervous fever. It should be gone tomorrow with any luck. Oh, that reminds me. Gale, this is Shadow." Gale looks me up and down and suddenly scoffs, crossing his arms in an arrogant manner.

" _That's_ Shadow? The way Dad talks about him, I'm a bit disappointed."

"Hey! Offensive much?" Gale only chuckles. Something about him rubs me the wrong way.

"Heh, sorry. I tend to be _very_ direct." He emphasises the "very".

"Are you threatening me?" I glare at him. He glares back. He's used to confrontations like this. That much is clear.

"Maybe. Maybe not. See ya." He goes off. My fur is still bristling. Antarctica sighs.

"He's not the healthiest apple in the barrel. He's very confrontational." Yeah, no doy.

I look back at Gale's vanishing figure. I need to watch him.

XO

You can never tell when it's morning or night when the clouds are black, unless you look at the time. It's past 7:30 in the morning. I and Maria have separate but adjoining rooms. As I wake up, my legs are stiff and my fur's lifeless. Great. I slide out of bed, quickly shower and then I decide to explore the castle because not only will it make navigation easier, but it might help me in the long run. I wander out of the bedroom, only to be met with a face full of cold air. I then hear distant music, mainly a piano solo as well as faint singing. Definitely a male singer. I don't recognise the song, but whoever is singing, they're good. As I get nearer, I can hear the words more clearly. I've missed the first verse but I hear the chorus:

 _Hold me, just unfold me_

 _Unchain my soul, give me love, make me whole_

 _Hold me, if it's only_

 _For this moment in time, now I'm yours and you're mine_

 _So hold me._

 _[Instrumental]_

 _Take a little time and you'll know better_

 _Than to think about giving in on the one you love_

 _Can we go back and freeze the moment_

 _When we used to be free, was only you and me_

 _Hold me, just unfold me_

 _Unchain my soul, give me love, make me whole_

 _Hold me, if it's only_

 _For this moment in time, now I'm yours and you're mine_

 _Remember how we used to laugh but now you're running from the past_

 _Let's find the strength to carry on_

 _Remember how love used to be, you said I was your fantasy_

 _Can't take another night alone…so come on home_

 _Hold me, just unfold me_

 _Unchain my soul, give me love, make me whole_

 _Hold me, if it's only_

 _For this moment in time, now I'm yours and you're mine_

 _So hold me._

The song ends there and it's led me to a ballroom, where a figure sits at the piano, face in his hands, sobbing. My heart drastically sinks. Not only because the song has pretty good context (as well as being pretty emotional), but the fact is I can't stand someone crying.

"Sonic?"

He jumps, almost falling of the piano's seat. He hides his face for a second to wipe the tears away.

"Oh…Shadow. Hey."

"Seeing as you're up and about, your fever must be gone."

"Well, I woke up feeling awful but I got an urge to play and…"

"You've got talent. I'll give you that."

"Seriously? Everyone's always complaining that I'm rubbish."

"Well, they're jealous. How can you get comments like that when you literally sing like a professional?" He shrugs at this, fumbling with his hands in an awkward way. I can see his face is still red from the fever. "You really shouldn't be out in the cold if you're sick, you know."

"The cold doesn't affect me anymore." He says, voice monotone. "Hasn't since I went mad."

"I don't think you went mad, per say." He looks at me. "You remind me of a friend back home."

"Your version of me?"

"Good guess."

"Heh, instinct. What's your version of me like?"

"Half your age. How old are you?"

"Personal question but I'll let it slide. 30."

"OK, exactly half. He's 15 in my dimension."

"I barely remember those days. Guess being cooped in a castle for 15 years does something to ya. Go on."

"He's…" I'm able to list the most compliments about Faker (how embarrassing…). "…um…heroic, helps those who needs him, bit reckless…well, until Infinite literally tore him apart."

"Infinite? Who is that?" I see him faintly quiver but I don't say anything. It's probably just fear of the name.

"Pray you never meet him. He's an evil jackal from my dimension, though he becoming evil was…kind-of my own fault…"

"Why? What didja do?"

"Defeat him in a battle in less than 10 seconds. It drove him mad, defeat did, made him bind his very existence to a powerful illusion-generating gemstone called the Phantom Ruby. He's conquered my dimension and wants to conquer others. I hope he doesn't come here. A goddess called Aeon transported me and Maria here to find a Soul Plate. Find all 300 and we'll have enough power to defeat Infinite."

"…That's one heck of a story. What does this Soul Plate look like?"

That stumps me.

"…I…I don't actually know yet. It won't be revealed until we solve a "problem" or a "challenge". Originally, it'll look like a regular object."

"So it basically could be anythin' in the world." He shivers again, but I take it as a chill.

"Yup."

"That's rubbish."

"Tell me about it." He suddenly coughs violently, a shiver ricocheting through his spine. I catch him as his legs give way. He bundles up to me, almost like he is cold. He looks scared, with means soon the wind picks up and harshly bounces off my body. With no other choice, I gently help him to his feet and I guide him back to his bedroom. He's struggling to breathe right, his face paling of any colour. As we reach his bedroom, the guards help me, alarm in their eyes. They open the door and help me get him back into the bed just in time as he loses consciousness. Delphine, the female guard, runs off the re-fetch the doctor while the male orders me not to leave his side as he needs to guard the door. I notice a mug on the side, half-full of cold tea. Something about it is off. The top of it has bubbles on the surface, like with liquid if you add water from a tap. I look at it and, after mentally cringing, I drink a bit of it. A toxic, bitter taste hits my tongue and I immediately choke, but after a few seconds, I'm fine. Poison. Someone poisoned the tea. Who the heck would do that!? I take in the taste. While poisons don't affect me, I can identify them at a mere taste. A few drops of cyanide. Would kill within an hour. The doctor comes in and, as he asks me to move, I gesture to the cup. "I've already figured out what's wrong. Poison."

"Poison!?"

"Yeah, someone poisoned this. I could tell by the taste. I'm immune to them but I have an uncanny gift of identification through the sense of taste. Weird but true." He rummets through his bag and pulls out a syringe and a small test tube of cyan liquid.

"Good thing I carry this around. It can neutralize any poison from around the world." I whistle. That is actually cool. He fills the syringe and injects it into Sonic's left arm, earning a mutter and a moan but he relaxes as he was tense before. Colour returns to his face and his breathing stabilizes and deepens. The cat smiles and nods, turning to me. "We need to find this unknown assassin. Gather everyone in the main hall…NOW."

XO

Every guard, every maid, every member of the royal family, staff as well as myself and Maria are all gathered together. I've been put in charge.

"I want to know from Delphine and…the other guard…"

"My name is Wendel."

"OK, Delphine and Wendel…did anyone enter Sonic's room this morning?"

"Only Mera." They glare at the rabbit, who pales and starts pleading.

"Don't pin this on me! I swear on my mother's grave that I didn't put anything in that tea!"

"It's true, she didn't." Another maid, a fuchsia and black striped tiger, backs up. "I watched her do it. She left it unattended for a while but she only put sugar in it."

"Are you sure?" I ask. The tiger frantically nods.

"Yes! Yes, I swear!"

"Hmmm…did anyone enter the kitchen?" Mera shrugs but the tiger clicks her fingers.

"Yes, someone did come in! Someone in a cloak. Definitely male. Grey fluffy tail."

Grey fluffy tail. I walk around the room. There is only one person with a tail and body of that description. I should have known.

"Don't you have something to admit…Gale?"

The room goes up in horrified gasps.

"Are you saying my son is behind this!?" Antarctica growls, shielding Gale with herself. "He would never!" She stops to look at him but notices a sly smirk across his face, arms crossed. Antarctica steps away from him. "…You didn't…"

"What makes you think I did? What motive would I have?"

"You're the heir to the throne. You want to be King, not just the Prince." I counter but he tuts.

"Wrong. I'm illegitimate because I'm not of royal blood. If Sonic died, Flurry would be ruler, not me because she has more royal blood than me. I was going to kill "Dad" and then all my stepsisters and my little stepbrother as well as Mother. With no one left, and faking my own attack but barely surviving, I would become King of the Empire, whether the Resistance like it or not." Shock runs through me. I knew I had to keep an eye on him. Antarctica backs away from her son more, hands over her mouth, heartbroken and anguished tears flowing down her face, with her muttering "no" over and over to herself. Grinning, Gale throws daggers at us and makes his escape through the window, whistling. "See you all soon, you royal fascists. That throne will be mine! I'll show you! All of you!" He disappears into the mist. I literally punch the wall. It badly cracks. No-one says anything.

"Damn it!"

"This is the problem, isn't it?" Maria asks. "Gale's turn to assassination."

"I think so. Defeat him and we get that Plate." I decide to go check on Sonic. The guards return to their stations and they let me in. Sonic's sleeping on his side, still faintly shaking. I sit on the mattress's edge and he stirs, obviously already a bit awake. He yawns but he badly flinches. I just pull the sheets over his cold shoulders. He's still quite weak but he smiles when he sees me.

"Hey."

"You alright, Sonic?" He sleepily nods, trying to sit up.

"Ugh…yea'…I think so…what happened?"

"You got poisoned."

"…Wait…say again? Poisoned…so that means…" He trails off, horrified shock spreading throughout his face. "…s-someone tries to kill me…?" As I nod, he gasps, slinking into a ball. The idea of assassination must be prominent in your head when you're a king that no-one wanted. The fact it's actually happened is torture to him. I rest a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry. We know who did it and we won't let him hurt you."

"Who?" He shoots back. "Who did it!?"

Do I tell him? …He'll find out sooner or later.

"…Gale."

He blinks blankly but lashing out in rage.

"N-No…he wouldn't. You're wrong! You're a liar! Gale wouldn't!" I grip him by the shoulders.

"I know it's difficult to believe. He's a son to you but it's true. He admitted it in front of everyone. He slipped into the kitchen when Mera was busy with something and poisoned it. Lucky I figured it out just by tasting it."

"Doesn't that mean you've been poisoned too!?" He panics but I shake my head.

"No. I'm immune to toxins."

"Oh…lucky you." He darkly mutters. A sudden rumble interrupts us. That's going to be a trend, I can tell. I look out the window and my jaw drops. Cubes. Red ones. They're firing down onto the village below. I see a jackal-shaped figure hovering in the sky, a glitchy red aura flaring around his silhouette. Not only that, but I can see distant torches heading up towards the castle. A mob. That is just great. Infinite and a mob?

"OK…we're in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?"

"Big trouble. You might want to see this yourself." Confused, Sonic manages to regain his feet and looks out of the window. He sees Infinite's form.

"Let me guess…that's your "Infinite"?"

"Yes. Look down there." He sees the torches.

"Oh god…" He backs away, shaking. His arctickinesis is beginning to circle around him, almost in protection. I manage to grab his hand.

"I'm not going to let anything happen to you. Not after the hell you've been through."

"Why do you need to get involved!?" He screams, the torrent of icy magic around him thickening like a storm welling up inside of him. He clutches his head almost in pain as he starts screaming. "You don't even love me!" He's sobbing, completely heartbroken.

Silence.

More silence, on my part mostly. How can I respond to that?

"…I may not love you…I may not be the Shadow you knew and loved, but I can be there to protect you like he wanted." He looks at me, the magic freezing in mid-air. He's listening. "What happened to your Shadow was never your fault. He saved you out of his own kindness. He wanted you to live, Sonic. That's something to remember and to cherish. If sacrificing his own life to save yours was his final act, then the one thing I need to do is keep you alive. Keep you living, like he wanted. I'm going to end this once and for all in such a way that you and the resistance can live peacefully like all those years ago. You following me?" He's crying but he nods. His surge of emotions powers down until he wipes the tears away and nods a second time. His legs cave in and I bundle him into my arms as he breaks down once more.

"T-Thank you…" He whispers. "…t-t-thank you."

"It's alright. Is there anywhere in the castle that no-one knows but you?"

"…U-Uh…yea'. There's a chamber in the courtyard that is hidden by a tapestry. A big thick one that hides the door well and even if you do find it, you can only open the door if you tap bricks in a specific combination. My idea, of course."

"Show me."

"OK. We will need to make sure we're not followed or spied on."

"Right." He grabs my hand and leads me secretly to said chamber, pulling back the tapestry and taps bricks in a specific order which I try to memorize. The walls part and we head down god knows how many steps until we reach another room with a door with no lock. Why the lax security on this door? I don't ask. Inside is like a second bedroom, but kitted out with weaponry, supplies and quite a lot of treasure.

"It's like a bunker. Both in case of air attacks, because it's a bit underground plus it hides all my treasure. Heck, being king does kind of mean you're loaded."

"And…no-one knows about this place?"

"Only I know about it."

"Good. I'll distract Infinite and Maria will get rid of the mob. You stay here where it is safe."

"What!? You'll get slaughtered! Both of you! No, I'm fighting as well! I'm the one with powers here!"

"I told you to stay here and stay here you will."

"Um…I'm the King around here, Shadow. You abide by my rules!"

"I'm not from your dimension so you're not the boss of me!"

He sags back in defeat, groaning.

"Alright…I'll stay here."

"Thank you." I head out and the walls close behind me. I see Infinite is at the castle now, shooting anyone in sight. I make sure he sees me. He says nothing but fires lasers that I so easily dodge. "When did you lose your accuracy, Infinite?"

" **You are starting to irritate me, Shadow."** He hisses. **"Give me the Soul Plate!"**

"I don't have it."

" **You do not have it?"** He repeats. **"It appears you are not as capable as you seem. It is a shame that I have to kill such a pathetic insect."**

"That's ironic. You're the pathetic one, hiding behind a gaudy gem and a sinister mask! Ever thought of attacking problems head on? I get that self-improvement is a good thing but sacrificing your soul for power isn't worth it, believe me, I've done it in a different lifetime!"

" **You dare call me pathetic!?"** He shoots cubes at me and again dodging is barely completed but he boosts into me and knocks me back. **"I have seen your interactions with this dimension's blue rodent. His inner fear is like a drug, addictive and delicious. His blood shall also taste like fear itself in its purest form."** He grabs me by the throat before I can react, cutting off my air as my voice becomes a gasp. His claws dig into my fur, blood beginning to trickle down my body like hidden stripes. I am immortal…but I can die. Wounds can kill me like any Mobian, just not time. My body does not age, nor does it degenerate with time. I could survive to the end of the universe, a fate I resigned myself to when I woke for the first time and was alerted by that glitch. Yes, glitch. I was meant to age and be a forever companion to Maria's human form until she died alongside myself. Our life spans would be the same. We'd die at the same time, no matter what. However, I guess I underestimated how easily I could be killed. He squeezes harder, only a choked noise escapes my mouth. He lifts me off the ground. I can feel my body give up as it shuts down. I can't pull free nor attack; my limbs do nothing. My lungs burn from the lack of oxygen as my entire body goes cold and numb. My visions blurs and blacks out as a last choking sound enters my ears as well as Infinite's dark and menacing laughter…

XO

 _Get him oxygen, now!_

 _Sire, there might be nothing we can do! There's no pulse!_

 _Just try! I lost one Shadow. I'm NOT losin' another!_

 _You're injured yourself, sire._

 _Do as I command!_

 _Y-Yes sir…!_

 _Stand clear! 1…2…3…!_

 ** _ZAP!_**

 _Sire, there's nothing!_

 _Try again, then!_

 _OK! 1…2…3!_

 ** _ZAP!_**

Light blinds me. All I can do is cough and roll onto my side, limbs spasming.

…Am I alive…? I can't bloody see a thing. Everything is just a blur of colour, though I see a familiar form above me who immediately envelopes me in warmth. Why am I so cold!? I'm still coughing, but something wet is running down my chin but I've no strength to wipe it off and inspect it.

"He's coughing up blood. Get him to safety now! Guards, hold back the horde of civilians!"

"Yes, Commander, sire!"

"Your Majesty! You must get to a safe place!"

"I'm not leaving him on his own! You're not my boss!"

Everything then blacks out again but when I come to, I'm get blinded once more by light, this time by an icicle chandelier. I cough more. My vision this time focuses more, but it's still not normal. My lungs still burn alongside my throat. I see someone sitting next to me, head on the bed, sobbing heartbroken tears. He hasn't sensed my awakening. I told him to stay put. How did Infinite not kill me? He had the opportunity and the incentive, seeing as he WANTS me dead…but how I'm alive baffles me. I manage to move and I shake his arm. He jumps and looks at me, flinging his arms around my bandaged form in joy. He's bandaged too, mainly around his torso and shoulder.

"Don't you DARE scare me like that again!" He hits me in the nose, angry. I don't blame him.

"H-How am I alive…?" I ask, my voice scarcely a croak. Great. He flinches at my voice but bites his lip.

"A girl told me."

"Girl?"

"Yeah, silvery type of voice. Told me you were dying…so I tried to find you. That Infinite guy…he had you by the neck…you weren't moving, let alone alive…I tried beating the crap outta him but he beat me up and left, saying something about being bored."

Aura. Aura told him I was trouble. I guess she's not as stupid as I thought she was.

"You c-challenged Infinite!? …You idiot…"

" _I'm_ the idiot!?" He breaks down. "I thought you were DEAD, Shadow! I couldn't get you breathing!" Guilt wells in me. He's right. I shouldn't have challenged Infinite like that. What was I even thinking!? The whole reason of collecting the Soul Plates _is_ to beat him. I wasn't even aiming for a fight. I was just a distraction. I really underestimated that bastard of a jackal. I rest my hand on Sonic's shoulder.

"…I guess I owe you my life. Thank you." He sniffs and shrugs nervously, despite the smile that creeps onto his face. A guard then bursts into the room.

"Sire, the…"

"Next time, KNOCK before entering my chambers? Learn some privacy!"

"S-Sorry sire, but this is urgent. The rebellion's entered the courtyard."

"They got through the gates!?"

"Yes, sir and…Prince Gale is with them." Sonic shakes with rage, teeth gritted.

"He is no longer a prince of this kingdom. He has betrayed the royal crown. I'll kill that traitorous swine myself. Go and hold then off. I'll join you swiftly." The guard nods and rushes off, leaving the doors open. Sonic stands and builds up power in his hands. "I get you want to protect me Shadow but I don't think your mission is to save me."

"What?"

"This land was destroyed the minute I built my empire. If it crumbles, the planet will be restored. That was your mission all along: to restore my Mobius."

"Yeah, but to do that, I would have to…"

"Yes. Kill me." He looks at me sadly. "My life is what holds my kingdom together. If I am gone, summer will return to these lands like it did 15 years ago. That is what you need to do. I know also you won't be able to do that."

"Of course I won't be able to!" I manage to sit up, propelled by adrenaline. "I promised to do this mission without bloodshed. No-one is going to die."

"I have to if you want to save all dimensions from Infinite." He shoots back. "I won't force you to do the deed yourself. I have my old friend Zara to do that for me. Or Alexa. Whichever lands the fatal blow first. I'll give them a good fight. I'm not a sore loser. In the end though, I will ensure they end this winter forever." He leaves the room in a teleport and I hear him yelling to the mob in the courtyard. "Alright, you rebellious tyrants! This is beyond treason! You want a piece of me? Come and get me!" I look out the window. The fight's pretty even. After about 10 minutes, there's the silence of voices, only for that silence to get broken when I hear an anguished scream. I see shot after shot of icy magic blasting from person to person, locking them in an icy tomb. I sweat-drop.

"He's lost his mind…" I stand, albeit really off-balance and I head to the courtyard, bumping into Maria. Good timing.

"Shadow!" She hugs me. "I…I thought you were…"

"Forget about that now! We have to stop this rebellion! We need to get Sonic out of here fast."

"You really think it's going to be that easy?" It's Gale, uniform covered in blood splatters, a sadistic grin tattooed onto his face. He has a cyan bloodied blanket in his hand that he drops. Blanket…a baby's blanket…Storm…Sonic had a son called Storm. Few months old. He didn't…

"Is that…Storm's?"

"Pity you never met him." Gale grins. "Storm was never a threat, but he was by far the favourite due to his age. He stopped crying the moment I slit his tiny throat. The amount of trauma in the King's eyes when he saw his dead baby…imagine the torture he had to go through psychologically. It would have been like nothing you've seen."

"Oh, wanna bet?"

"Can you do better?"

"Tortured physically and psychologically for 6 months? Thinking your friends were dead and it was all your fault? Reminded over and over until you tried to kill yourself?"

"…W-What…?"

"That is what MY dimension's Sonic went through. Any idea how much it crushed him in and out? I've seen one Sonic suffer. I'm not gonna see another!" Before I get a chance to kill him, Gale lets out a choke as something pulls him back. A cyan skipping rope is around his throat, restricting his breathing until his eyes roll back into his head, face goes blue and he slumps to the ground with a final ear-splitting choke, dead. Behind him is Flurry, skipping rope in hand.

"Where's the thanks?"

"Flurry! Thanks." Maria goes up to hug her. She pushes her off.

"Sorry. I don't like strangers touching me."

"Oh, sorry."

"Are the other girls safe, Flurry?" I ask. Sonic's lost two children now. I don't want the family line going extinct. She shrugs.

"I don't know where Blizzard and Snowflake are. I heard that Storm was killed by Gale…I had to kill him. For my brother's sake."

"I wouldn't do any more murderous stunts, if I were you, Princess." It's Rosalind. She has Blizzard in a headlock, making sure she can breathe but can't break out. As Blizzard wails, Rosalind shakes her. "Shut up, you little twit."

"Let my sister go, you villain!" Flurry remarks, only getting a laugh.

"Oh, you think you can take me!?"

"I can try. You're destroying my dad's kingdom! I ain't gonna let ya!"

"Aw, how precious? Let's snap that morale into shatters, shall we?" With a twist of her arm, we all hear a loud cracking sound as Blizzard stops struggling and falls limp. Rosalind lets her go, kicking her to the ground. We all rush to her. Her eyes are glazed and open, her neck at a twisted and broken angle. Flurry cries. Being heroic is one thing, but death is the one thing you can't steel yourself against. 5…Blizzard was just 5…Rosalind turns her back to leave us in our grief but I charge up a Chaos Gun and I shoot her in the back of her head.

"That was for killing an innocent young girl, you motherfucking bitch…" She falls onto her front, just as I hear rapid footsteps.

"Shadow!" It's Sonic. He rushes into the corridor and freezes when he sees us. The first thing he sees is Gale's suffocated form, whistling. "Nice job, Shadz."

"Actually dad…I killed him." Flurry corrects, earning in a shocked look.

"You? You killed Ga…" He sees Blizzard. His face pales. "No…n-not Blizzard…!" He runs forward to cradle his daughter's lifeless body and lets out a heartbroken wail, eventually shushing himself and hugging her in his arms. "I-I'm sorry, sweetheart…I-I-I'm so sorry…I was too slow to save you…you d-didn't deserve to die…" Flurry comforts her father with a hug. He turns to her. "Where's Snowflake?"

"…I don't know…"

"We need to find her. I'm not losing you two as well!" He grabs Flurry's hand and runs off, with us in pursuit. We wander aimlessly from room to room until we hear a high-pitched scream. Sonic starts hyperventilating. "SNOWFLAKE!"

"Sis!" Flurry screams, following her father using her own super speed. Me and Maria swiftly follow as they enter the grand hall, which is 5 times bigger than the ballroom and is decorated with golden-tinted ice. Neat. Standing in the centre of the room is a chipmunk of around 15 years old with long brown locks, cold blue eyes and she is wearing a purple jumper, black ripped jeans, white converses and she has a machete in her hand, dripping with blood. On her side, struggling to breathe, blood seeping from a deep stab to her stomach is a hedgehog with blue fur and grey-tipped quills. Snowflake. Sonic's immediately at her side, assessing the gash as he gently cradles her in her arms. I take the opportunity to leap onto the girl.

"Who are you?"

"Name's Alexa."

Alexa…Meghan's daughter. Zara's niece. The true heir to the kingdom. I grab her by the throat.

"Snowflake is innocent…why did you hurt her!?"

"All those in line to the Ice Kingdom must die…seems only Flurry is to go."

"I'm not gonna see anyone else suffer!" Flurry screams, pulling out a knife and stabs it into Alexa's forehead, making her scream. I then shoot her with a Chaos Gun. I look at Sonic.

"Is Snowflake OK?" I ask. Sonic nods.

"I think so. I've got her stable for now."

"Good." I see Flurry embrace her younger sister. Sisterly love at its finest.

"I-It hurts daddy…" Snowflake mumbles, eyes starting to droop from the blood loss. "…I…I can't…" Sonic shushes her and uses his powers to block the flow of blood almost like a bandage.

"It's alright, sweetheart, I've got you now." He hugs her tight as her breathing evens out. "Daddy's right here…" He kisses her forehead. "I'm not losing you too as well. I've lost Blizzard. I've lost Storm. I'm not losing my entire family to this stupid uprising."

"Where's Antarctica?" I ask. Sonic looks away, tears running down his face.

"She…she…"

"Gale killed her." Snowflake mumbles. "Hit her over the head with something…"

"Shush now." Flurry urges. "Let's forget about that for a moment. We're gonna be alright, right Dad?" Sonic hesitates.

"Yea' sweetheart. We're all gonna be alright once we get out of this fine mess."

"Stop right there, boys and girls." I growl when I see Zara's form. She eyes me with hate. "You promised you'd get rid of him."

"I only said I'd talk to him, you bitch!"

"Hang on…you two know each other…?" Sonic chokes. "…Y-You're in league with her?"

"No! Of course not! We ran into her when we got here! She would have attacked a lot sooner if I hadn't said I'd resolved this peacefully."

"Funny…" Zara sneers. "…You really are different than our Shadow. Let's see…two princesses…one immortal…one foreign child…one King…I'd say this will take no more than 15 minutes." She whistles and a coyote, this dimension's Antoine, launches in, dive-bombing Flurry. He has a cutlass on him and makes no hesitation in killing her, repeatingly stabbing in the chest even long after her body, which twists in agony alongside pained screams, stops moving, limbs in awkward angles as well as frozen horror in her eyes. As soon as he goes to continue to the neck and head just for sadistic fun, a blast of icy magic hits him, taking him aback. Sonic's pissed, vengeful tears streaming down his cheeks. He's out for revenge, that much is for sure. Zara growls and while Sonic and the coyote fight, she grabs Snowflake. "Oh, Sonic." She sadistically sings. He turns and gasps, eyes tiny in terror as he sees the horror on his daughter's face.

"No…Zara, please! Spare Snowflake! What has she done to you!?"

"Nothing, but she has your traitorous blood." She impales Snowflake in the heart with her knife, though she doesn't die immediately. As she slumps to the floor, Sonic screams and runs to her, pushing Zara aside. Snowflake's coughing up blood, her time quickly running out. She huddles up to her father as she stops breathing. I can see the trauma in Sonic's eyes. "Now…who next…oh, I know…the one who betrayed my plans!" I don't see her point a pistol at me but I hear the sudden bang.

"NO!"

Time slows. I don't feel any pain. I feel something fast barrel into me and I hear the sound of the bullet penetrating something as well as a choked gasp of pain. I fall onto my back. I hear guards enter the room as they grab Zara by the arms. I'm looking at the ceiling but I feel heavy on me, something limp. As my vision realigns from the recoil, I shift. I hear coughing and the dripping of liquid as well as hoarse gasps for air. I hear distant shouting. My hearing soon readjusts, but I'm met with desperate cries.

"MY LORD!"

I look down. Sonic's on me, arms hugged around my neck, his body acting as a shield. There's blood dripping down his back, a black mark staining the fur. I remember Zara firing. The sound of a bullet hitting something. No. Some _one_. I roll Sonic gently onto his back, supporting his head. The guards are in a right state. The bullet's gone right through Sonic's heart, evident by his lifeless eyes. At first, I'm sure he's dead but he sluggishly blinks, eyes turning to me. They're glazed but he still has a gleam. A weak smile crosses his mouth. How is he smiling!? He sees no blood on me and chuckles.

"..Y-You…you didn't get hit…"

"No, but that was one reckless move! What the heck were you thinking!?"

"…I-It's like I told you…i-i-it's about time that…that I died…" He starts coughing up blood, his breathing raspy and shallow. I shush him, trying to use the palms of my hands to stem the blood flow, even though I know that, by this point, it's not going to work out but there's never any harm in trying.

"Don't talk. You need to keep your strength."

"No point…" He snaps. "S-She got me S-Shadow…o-once Mobius is restored, y-you'll get that plate you were tellin' me about."

"Well, yeah but…"

"But nothing. I-I've always wondered what death is like…h-how it feels to die…it's not painful. The p-pain all melts away."

"Don't even talk like that. It freaks me out."

I'm interrupted by Sonic clasping my hand tight, pulling me down to his level. He starts whispering in my ear.

"…Promise me…p-promise me you'll d-defeat Infinite…s-save the world…save the u-universe…" He's struggling to breathe. I feel something in my eyes. They're…they're wet. No. I am NOT crying. I'm not going to cry. Not me. I'm too tough for that. I manage a smile.

"I promise."

"G-Good." He coughs again as he starts staring at the ceiling, his eyes growing more and more glazed and lifeless. I can tell he's on the verge of dying but I can see he's giving up as he closes his eyes, his smile growing. "…A-A-At least…I-I'll g-get to see…m-my…children a-again…" His voice trails off as a final exhale escapes him, chest remaining still, smile frozen on his deathly pale muzzle. His hand, which was tightly clasped around mine, falls limp and floppy like the arm of a toy doll, weightless and cold. A single tear runs down his cheek, freezing before it hits the floor due to the temperature of the air. For a few moments, I'm incapable of moving, let alone able to stop embarrassing tears running down my own face. Something in me hurts. Why? Grieving is interrupted by a sadistic laugh. Zara. She's in hysterics as she views Sonic's lifeless corpse.

"Finally! FINALLY!" She chuckles. "At last, the tyranny is over!" A beam of sunlight strays into my face as warmth hits me. The icy structure of the castle is disappearing into white stardust and the snow melts away. Within minutes, I'm not kneeling on icy wood but luscious grass. All the snowmen in the village are restored to their real forms as they hug each other and whoop. Summer has returned. The sun feels hotter than usual. It seems wrong, though, that the villains win. When does that even happen? Alternate fairy tales perhaps. That's what this all is. A screwed up, messed up, fucking horrid fairy tale with a tragic ending!

"Alright…leave her to me boys." I look up. Maria is looking at Zara.

"But…but miss…! She's dangerous!"

"So am I. This won't tell a second."

"What are you doing, Maria?" I ask. She doesn't face me but the azure gem on her chest glows as her quills blow back and forth in a sudden warm wind that picks up. A tropical kind of wind. Mist forms at her feet. That's when she looks at me with a look I would never have imagined I would see on someone as innocent and pure-hearted as her.

"…I'm going to kill her." I let out a choked gasp. Her? Kill someone? What in Aurora's name is going on here!? Zara laughs.

"You? Kill me? What are you, 12? I'd love to see you try, you bitch."

"Oh? A bitch am I?" She menacingly walks forward, the mist increasing. Zara's smirk doesn't waver. "I think you're mistaken, Zara Acorn. You're the one who picked Sonic as the villain, when he was only really taking revenge on those trying to taint his lover's memory, one he wanted to cherish for the rest of his days. You'd do the same if you were in his shoes. Omitted your Shadow was the catalyst for 15 years of civil war between ice and fire, a war that would have ended in endless innocent lives being slaughtered. Second, you kill mere children due to their blood. Storm…Flurry…Snowflake…Blizzard…all innocent children with their eyes closed to the world. They never did any wrong to you, the village or anyone else. I think you yourself were blinded by love. You loved Sonic, didn't you?" Zara backs down then, hearing that last bit.

"…Yes…I loved him. I loved him for years. When I learnt he loved Shadow more than me, I planned to omit Shadow. I lied about it being the council's decision. I pushed them into it, blackmailed them even. I wanted Sonic for myself but the release of the document through leaks drove him insane. Ice crazy, like you told me yesterday. I wanted Sonic to forget about me. He fell in love with bad blood, an immortal who would have had to watch him die sooner or later. That is the curse of immortality. You watch everyone around you die. Shadow, you share this curse. How do you cope with the endless trauma you are forced to see?"

"Death never signifies the end of a lifetime." I say, standing. "It signifies a new life for another. Another you can spend time with. Spend as much time as you can. In the end, Zara, memories are worth more than forever wandering alone. I learnt that the hard way."

"…Then you are a fool. As was Sonic." She spits, arms crossed, arrogance in her azure eyes. "He betrayed us. He proved to me that he was not the hero I admired him to be. A mere movie villain in disguise. Seriously. That's how evil he was."

"I have heard enough out of you." Maria cuts Zara off, eyes glowing now as her aquakinesis fills her. "…I don't want to hear you talk anymore." She starts incanting a spell. "Oxygen to Chlorine. Air to Liquid. Let your words be lost in a torrent of aqua. Forever drown in your sins! Water Lock!" Zara gets encased in a sphere of water, muting her. She tries shouting but a bubbling sound is all we here. Her face turns blue as she grabs her throat. She tries holding her breath but her eyes, which are bulging out of her head, roll back into her head as her face goes blue-grey. Her limbs stop struggling as she falls limp, floating in the water lock like a doll. "Release." The sphere cuts out and Zara lifelessly falls to the ground, her drowned figure present for all to see. Her eyes are half-open, the rich blue irises replaced by glazed grey. Her entire body is soaked wet. Maria isn't finished yet. A mallet forms out of water and slams down on Zara's body, blood splurging over the grass. Something's wrong with her eyes. They're dark, malicious, insane almost. I grab Maria and pull her back.

"Maria, snap out of it!" I shake her and she groans, rubbing her head.

"W-What…?"

"Those powers…they unlock a new side to you…you can't go overboard or they control you."

"What are you talking…?" She stops. "Shadow, look!" I turn. Something's glowing. Sonic's crown. The entire thing is glowing silver. I pick it up and the shape changes into a heart shape, covered in golden and silver metal.

"Is this…a Soul Plate?"

"Must be. We completed the mission."

"At the cost of so many lives."

"I know…but many of them we couldn't prevent."

" **I shall have to agree with the female child."** I hear Infinite's voice. He's hovering above us. **"I am surprised to see you are still alive, Shadow. You got very lucky."**

"Sorry, Infinite, but you lost this round."

" **Yes, it seems so. We shall meet again, in a different dimension, in a different form. May the outcome entertain me next time. Keep your prize. I may steal them at some point. You should be on your guard, lest you want any more harm to come to your own little blue ally."**

"What are you scheming!? Sonic's already gone hell and back because of you!"

" **I am not so pathetic as to reveal my scheme to you. I shall bid you a farewell. We shall see each other again in a different zone."** He flies off, exiting the area through a magenta portal in the sky that disappears the moment he shoots through it. Behind us, a golden portal appears. Maria runs through it first, followed by myself.

XO

"Shadow. Maria. Welcome back." Aeon greets us when we arrive back. I give her the Soul Plate and it flies up to many pillars at the top of her castle, becoming a cream flame. "The beacon of hope has been struck. You executed the mission spectacularly."

"I…suppose so…"

"Luckily, your next mission doesn't require space and time travel on your or my part. The next mission is in this dimension. Look." She gestures to a village encircling the entire palace. "That is the village of Avaritia. The people have forever been loyal to us. However, in recent centuries, the people have learnt to despise the Gods and have long kept my younger brother Aethon captured. Your next mission is to rescue him. I happen to have an unlocked Soul Plate, one that only Aethon can unlock. This one is the Master Unit and can be unlocked by one with unlimited and godly power. Aethon is the one who crafted the Plates into being, so only he can reawaken its power."

"Why wasn't that the first mission?" I demand. She sighs.

"I had to test your powers…to see if you were the ones I sought. I apologize for the deception." She bows in apology.

"It's fine." Maria assures, earning in a meek blink from Aeon. "I mean…we have to get them all, right? Is there really a set order?"

"Well, no…there is no set order."

"And time outside this dimension is controlled by you, right? No matter how much time is spent here or anywhere else, it barely affect Mobius Prime, right?"

"…Right…"

"So, no worries! We need to rest from the last mission but tomorrow, we're gonna rescue Aethon!" Maria walks off with Aeon, chatting away about…well…about stuff.

This is going to be one hell of an adventure…and we only have 1 Plate so far. Great omen, right?

 **Plates Collected: 1/300**

 **ED: Be as One by w-inds (Fairy Tail)**


	3. Mission 2: Unimportant God

**OP: Goya no Machiawase by Hello Sleepwalkers (Noragami)**

 **This chapter introduces Estyn, Lara and Volt (OCs who join Maria and Shadow).**

 **The mission is relatively short this time around but get ready, because a surprising character is gonna be the 6** **th** **member of the team (just so there are 3 girls and 3 boys on the team).**

 **Zielo is a character owned by artist Gigi-D (and yes, we will be going to The Murder of Me's universe at some point. Yay!)**

 **XO**

Where…am I? All I see is darkness, choking darkness. I look around. There's no evidence of any light or life? Is this some other dimension I've been flung into? A room? A void? It's impossible to tell when you can't make out anything beyond an inch of you…no, scratch that. It's so dark I can't see even myself. Even making my rings glow doesn't reveal anything.

" _Help…me…"_

I freeze. A voice? Here? Is there someone else here as well? I can't see anyone, nor hear the voices anymore. What was that then? My imagination? I'm too scared to move. I'm freely admitting this. This place is really starting to freak me out.

" _Help…me, Shadow…please!"_

This time, I recognise the voice clearly. The tone. The fear. It all points to one person.

Sonic.

How is he here? Am I hallucinating or is this just some messed up nightmare? I then hear a high-pitched scream, one I've heard before back on the Death Egg. Is this Infinite's doing!?

" _Where…are you? It…it hurts…hurts so much…"_

I scream his name, but I can't hear my voice. The screams continue before they fall silent. The silence is deafening. I continue to call Sonic out, though my voice is now audible. I then hear a demonic laughter. Infinite. I whirl around and I see his form, making me growl. He's floating a few metres from me, wrapped in that menacing glitchy aura. At first, he says nothing but I can imagine a devilish evil grin behind his mask. Eventually he talks, teleporting straight into my face and strokes a clawed finger against my cheek in a seductive way. What is this!?

" _ **Look what you have done. Your cowardice has cost your friend his life."**_

His voice is only a menacing whisper but he vanishes, laughing. Something prompts me to look around, but I instantly regret doing so. Sonic…he's just…just lying there…bloodied and broken, his now-grey lifeless eyes staring straight at me, remnants of pained tears streaking his ghostly coloured cheeks. I feel myself break, mouth cupped, as I run to him, desperate to make sure he's OK…but I'm only kidding myself. He's clearly dead. As I'm in this position, I'm pushed backwards by some invisible force, only to see Sonic himself, eyes dead on me. He sees his own dead body and eyes me in hate. He's covered in blood. I've never seen that look on him and, quite frankly, it's the worst emotion I've seen displayed on his face. It doesn't suit him.

" _It was you."_ His voice is a snarl. _"You were the one who killed me."_

…What?

"No!" I find myself yelling. "It wasn't! It was…"

" _You're nothin' but a coward. Ya could have helped me…but ya stayed put. I went through hell because of you. Everythin' I've gone through, every single day of torture is because of_ _ **you!"**_

He vanishes and I'm left in darkness, trying hard to process what he just said.

No…it's not true…I didn't…I didn't mean to…

No…

NO!

XO

I wake up with a sharp gasp, fearful sweat beading my forehead. I frantically look around. I'm back in the bedroom Aeon had given me. What was that dream? My paranoia personified? A future vision? An omen? A guilty conscience? I don't really know. Annoyed, I wipe the sweat from my forehead with my hand and decide to get some air. A cool refreshing breeze hits me as I exit onto a balcony connected to a corridor just outside the bedroom chambers, but it doesn't chill me down to the bone like in the previous dimension. I let the wind enter my fur. It actually feels quite nice.

"…Are you alright?"

I look behind me. It's only Aeon, looking a tad worried. I nod, slightly fearing my awakening has caused her to wake up too.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"You don't look it." She stands next to me, overlooking the sleeping village of Avaritia below. The moon is full and is shining cyan, casting an aqua glow over anything the moonbeams touch. I don't answer her for a while. What do I say? I mean, I can't…I mean…I have a mission to complete and no time to go back to the Prime Dimension to make sure that bastard of a jackal hasn't touched Sonic.

…That's another thing…why do I care?

Sonic's not my friend. I mean, I won't say I absolutely hate him (because, frankly, I don't) but I generally can't stand his happy-go-lucky spirit. It violently clashes with my own. I also won't say I actually _dis_ like him. Sure, he's annoying as hell, but life would be boring if he weren't there to poke his sly little nose into my personal business if we happen to cross paths. I don't really _like_ him that much. How could I like someone like him? And yet, when I think about it, thinking of Sonic now just brings fear, guilt, pain and paranoia to the surface of my own soul, but why? Infinite wouldn't dare touch him if he knew what was good for him. If Infinite hadn't done what he done, I wouldn't feel this way. I wouldn't…I wouldn't care about Sonic. He's the hero of Mobius, someone who doesn't get defeated by anything or anyone. Yet…that dream felt so real…so horrific. My feelings too…I felt like my entire body broke from shock, heart and brain failing to register the body as reality. Do I really care about him that much?

And what he said to…he made a good point. I was a coward. I should have saved him. If I had…Infinite might have backed off or would have been taken down by the both of us instead of Sonic going through literal hell…all because I failed to protect him.

Infinite, however, is another matter entirely. I can't think of him or I feel anger and hate, feelings that always annoy me despite being used to them on a daily, if not hourly basis (curtsey of Sonic himself, which I'm sure is almost always unintentional). Also, seeing what happened to that alternate him made me remember what happened when Maria was human, seeing her body drown in a pool of her own blood as the ARK escape pod shot towards Mobius's atmosphere. That was what it was like: reliving that, though I'm 100% sure Maria remembers nothing about what happened 50 years ago.

"Shadow?" Aeon snaps me out of my trance. "I can tell there is something troubling you."

"It's nothing, Aeon. It was something Infinite said…it just has me worried."

"Oh?"

"He spoke about Faker…like he had plans to hurt him even more than he already has. He's already gone through hell and back and he tried to kill himself because of it. He wouldn't be able to take much more of it, let alone defend himself..." Aeon places a hand on my curled fist but a worried, false smile crosses her face.

"Infinite may be strong, but not even he can control time. As long as your dimension's time is frozen, he cannot do a thing."

"I know that!" I shake her hand off, my entire body shivering as I sit, curling into a ball. "…But everything Sonic has been through…it's all because of me."

"In what way?" She sits next to me.

"I didn't save him even though I was granted several opportunities. I saw the entire encounter and yet I had no desire to save him. Not only did Infinite unnerve me at the time but I guess I was too self-centred to care and by the time I realized Sonic needed help…i-it was too late." My voice breaks on the last statement and I suddenly find myself in tears. I don't wipe them away. Why don't I? I usually feel embarrassed by showing this level of emotion. It's not in my personality to cry, let alone feel so helpless or powerless…yet I do feel that way. I feel Aeon's hand clasp my right shoulder, making me flinch.

"I'm sure it was not your fault. By the sounds of it, I think you did not help him out of your own fear."

"That's exactly my problem…I judge people so quickly and I don't change my opinion. Sonic has proven to me so many times he's capable of fighting on his own. He has his own pride, as do I…but I was so convinced I was superior to Sonic that I failed to realize how much he needed help…all t-this…everything Infinite did to him…all the trauma from the torture…all of it could have been prevented if I wasn't such a fucking bastard!" I sob, mentally scolding myself for swearing a major cuss word in front of a GODDESS of all people. That in itself only sets me off more. I refuse to talk anymore as I fruitlessly sob. For all I know…Sonic's already dead. What if Infinite could bypass Aeon's time spell? What if he died during his coma? It would be my fault. All my fault. Forever in my mind that I, seemingly the "Ultimate Life Form", let another innocent life die. I keep crying until my eyes run out of tears. My breathing's broken and ragged. I've never felt like this before. My entire body's in emotional shock I think. Aeon's been silent this entire time, waiting for me to get everything out in the open and for me to calm down manually. After I do, she smiles at me.

"Do you feel a little better now that you have told me everything?" I only shrug. "I also saw that battle in the Prime Dimension between Sonic and Infinite. I saw you watching. I do not think you could have entered that battle and survived. Even if the one of the Soul Crystals…"

"Wait…Soul Crystals…?"

"That is what the Phantom Ruby is: a corrupted Soul Crystal. Soul Crystals are elemental gems, mostly being found in most universes. The Eternal Winter Zone, the zone you returned from earlier, contained one called the Frost Diamond."

I remember the gems the guards were wearing.

"I gave one to Maria as well: the Aqua Quartz."

That explains the sudden change in personality. A new power. A new persona to go along with it.

"Anyway, what I was saying was that even if that Soul Crystal had not been fully corrupted by your Dr. Eggman, I fear both of you would have died at Infinite's hands. You not interfering saved Sonic from death…though I know that is little in the way of consolation."

"…He's mentally broken…psychologically impaired and detached from his former life…probably forever…"

"These things can heal…it takes a long time but it always get better."

I look at her. I…I suppose she makes a valid point. I sigh to get a hold on myself. My face is warm, my breathing still not normal but it wipe the moisture from my eyes, mentally growling at myself. I look out at Avaritia and I remember the mission Aeon had set us, though it was quite brief.

"So, this brother of yours…do you mind filling me in with some more details?"

"On Aethon? Yes, I shall." She stands and I also get to my feet, albeit unsteadily. "Aethon is my younger brother, being the God of Space."

"Makes sense. Goddess of Time. God of Space. Time and Space. Go on."

"The people felt like we were manipulating the fabric of reality for our own gain. They thought, with us being Gods, we could not care less about the lives of mere mortals. Rebels within the city intercepted my brother and captured him, using his powers as a means to build weapons to take down myself, though they have never launched an attack to date. I dread to think what has happened to him…" She shudders. This situation sounds…familiar. It's like what happened to Sonic, but on a less evil level. I find myself shuddering nevertheless. I know how hard imprisonment can be on people. Sonic…Gerald…and now Aethon…

"If the mission is to rescue Aethon, then rescue him we shall."

She beams at this. "Thank you, Shadow."

XO

"This place is very lively." Maria comments, walking alongside me as we wander through a main street in Avaritia. Stalls are set up and it's just like a medieval village, except with advanced technology. I haven't spoken to her of my meltdown last night and I won't ever unless I'm forced to. I don't want to worry her. She's like a clingy little sister. Can't say I like it but I'll have to put up with it I suppose. She was never like this on the ARK…unless she now has the personality the girl before her had…

"Hey!" A voice makes us jump alongside others wandering past. "I won't have vagrants like yerself stealin' my merch! Paws off!" I hear a loud male. A gruff bear is wrestling with a white and pink female rabbit with large pink-purple eyes, yanking a bottle of water from her grasp. She dressed in a tatty brown robe and is obviously lacking in strength as the force of the snatch almost knocks her over. She recomposes herself and starts sobbing.

"Please! I need it! My friend…" Her plead is cut short by the bear grabbing her wrist hard, making her squeal in agony. That instantly riles me up.

"If you want somethin', yer buy it, love. It's basic skills in life. Heh, not like a vagrant like yerself knows anything like decency." He pushes her off with little effort, earning in a whine of pain while others either ignore her or laugh at her misfortune. She lands in the mud, unable to get up from sorrow as he chokes back on small sobs. She looks young, around Sonic's age, maybe even younger but not quite as young as Maria.

"Hang on a moment." I interrupt, hands on hips to show my authority. "That bottle. How much?"

"5 Avarites." Aeon gave us quite a lot of these in case we needed supplies. I hand 5 over to the bear and I take the bottle. Instead of keeping it to myself, I give it to the rabbit. The bear obviously doesn't like that and grabs me by the quill just as we do the exchange, lifting me into the air with ease. The bottle falls onto the fall and Maria grabs it, guarding it with her arms. The bear places his big ugly nose in my face. "Now, hold it right there, stripes! Yer can't just waltz in here and help those who make our small economy suffer."

"Why? What's her crime?" I shoot back. He looks speechless for a moment before pointing at her in accusation and hate.

"What's her crime!? She's a dirty, vagrant thief. Nothing good comes from that kind. There's a whole bunch of 'em on the back streets. Filthy little beggars." The girl bows her head in shame, badly cringing at the bullying remarks.

"If she desperately needs it for her friend, then maybe you are the one who needs to be taught a lesson." I growl and I form a Chaos Gun, pointing it to his face. People gasp and back away. I sigh. "It's a ploy gun. See?" I shoot it in the air. Only a weak jet of air comes out, making many sigh in relief and resume their daily business. However, I still hold it to the bear's face. "However, it shoots bullets when I want it to. You need to start opening your heart, you hear me? Let us take the bottle and I won't be forced to go vigilante." The bear gives me a dark look, growling to himself before sighing and nods to Maria to back down. He then releases me.

"I have had it up to HERE with thieves…but go on then. Take the blasted bottle. I'm better off without all this damn trouble." I nod in thanks and I help the girl to her feet.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah, thanks for that." She nods graciously and gestures for me and Maria to walk with her. "I'm Estyn."

"I'm Shadow. This is Maria."

"Pleasure." Estyn smiles. "The water's for my friend, Volt. He's suffering from a nasty illness that has been spreading throughout the town in recent days. My BF Lara is caring for him when I do the shopping, though you've seen what can happen when you live on the streets and have zero cash whatsoever so this really makes me happy, Shadow." Her mood's changed into a bubbly optimistic, evident by the way she enthusiastically swings her arms like an excitable anime girl.

An idea then forms. If this kid, Volt, is ill, I can cure him. I ruffle in my quills and I bring out a small syringe. Even though my original purpose, to cure terminal illnesses, was terminated years ago when they found me "defective", my blood can still cure most illnesses. In fact, Gerald was so upset at my defective state that he attempted to terminate ME, but me and Maria had built up such a strong bond that she pleaded her grandfather to spare me. Not one to make his dying granddaughter unhappy, he allowed me to live. Only problem with me doing this is it usually results in me passing out because my body isn't able to cope with blood loss to much extent (which means I have a hard time during hard battles where I badly bleed as it only takes a few deep gashes for me to bleed to death. Oversight, I know). Nevertheless, I turn to Estyn, determined now to not go back on my plan.

"Mind showing me him? I might be able to help your friend." Estyn stops, mouth slightly agape from surprise.

"Really?" She asks and I nod. She squeals in happiness and dances around me. "You're pretty awesome, Shadow! I just need some bread and then we'll head on to where Volt and Lara are." We head into a bakery where an old grey-furred female Mobian cat is bringing some loaves out of the oven. She nods at Estyn in a warm greeting.

"Ah, good morning, Estyn dear."

"Morning, Ms Whiskers. How are you faring?"

"Not too bad. How is Volt?"

"Same as yesterday." Her tone is low and sad. Ms Whiskers nods and hands Estyn two medium-sized loaves.

"I hope he gets well soon, dear."

"Me too. Thank you for the bread."

"Give my wishes to him and Lara, will you? Must be hard for her."

"It is, and I will tell her. Thanks again."

"She gives you it for free?" I ask when we exit the shop.

"My mother, Tanya, was good friends with her so she's more sympathetic than most people." She smiles and slips the bread in a small satchel bag. She heads then into a side-road and we follow until we come to a deserted house with a broken door. As we enter, a chill enters our bodies as a cold wind blows through the partly-broken ceiling. In the distance, I see a red female echidna with white ribbons on her dreadlocks tending to an unconscious dark golden fox. The echidna smiles.

"Estyn! You're back!" She freezes when she sees us and guards the fox, who I presume is Volt judging by his red cheeks, tinted by his fever.

"Lara, it's fine. They're friends." Lara backs down, but eyes us warily. Estyn takes off her robe then. Underneath, she's wearing a purple tube top with an amethyst necklace as well as jewelled jeans, complete with white sneakers with sapphires on the top. Classy. Lara is wearing a simple black top with white jeans and black converse. Estyn pours some water into a wide cup and kneels next to Volt, gently shaking him awake. His eyes open but they're a blank topaz, barely able to focus. He very slightly and weakly smiles at Estyn and drinks the water when prompted. I notice Maria's own cheeks are red, instantly making me wonder.

"What's up with you?"

"N-Nothing…I'm just warm."

"Really? It's pretty cool in here." I then frown. Figuring it out is easy. She's got a crush on him already. Lord almighty. "Listen Maria. I may be immortal and a bit cold but I'm not thick. I know sparks when I see them." She blinks and looks away, biting her lip.

"So?" I decide to argue with her later.

"Doesn't matter." Maria then notices the syringe in my hand.

"You're not gonna…!" How does she know? Has she figured it out?

"Maybe these guys know where Aethon is."

"Aethon?" Lara questions, overhearing us and eying us with faint surprise. "The God of Space? Aeon's brother?"

"Yeah."

"Good luck getting past the rebels."

"Rebels?"

"Uh-huh. They're headed by Kasey and her second-in-command, and younger sister, Gabby. Of course, there are the Core 5, the main soldier unit, made out of Trixie, Magenta, Korey, Jack and Danielle. Though she is dumb as rocks."

"It's not her fault." Estyn scolds.

"So?"

"Why is this not her fault?"

"She occurred a bad brain injury 4 years ago, meaning she really only says basic words. She never got therapy to help her speech." Estyn stands then, arms crossed. I feel bad for asking. "Alright, Shadow. Let's see this "curing" thing you briefly told me about."

"He has healing magic?" Lara asked.

"Not exactly." I show the syringe. "This is going to sound crazy but I'm technically able to cure any disease that is not terminal. My blood contains a special pathogen that acts like a cure. Sounds disgusting but the medicine is often worse than the illness…at least that's the saying I've heard." Both girls stare at me like I really am crazy but they huddle together, muttering their opinions. I'm sure they're going to say no but Estyn eventually sighs, ready to deliver their verdict on my plan.

"Alright…we've tried everything else but if this works, we'll help you get past the rebels. Sound like a deal?"

"Sounds good to me. One thing though."

"Hmmm?"

"…Using my blood as a cure forces my body to work similarly to a machine and it does something similar to a reset, so I will probably pass out for a while."

"That's alright, we'll look after you." Lara groans. "We owe that that at least but if this fails…"

"Lara, quit with the confrontational attitude! This guy is really sticking his neck out for us!" Estyn scolds before I get a chance to claw at her throat. Lara backs off but crosses her arms in a huff. I steel myself and I make the needle penetrate my right arm. I've only done this once before and I'm unprepared for the sheer amount of agony that shoots through my entire body. I pull the syringe top up and the casing fills to the top with crimson blood. I pull it out with a swift tug and I hand it to Maria just as my vision blacks out.

XO

I'm awoken by something cold on my forehead, almost like something wet. I see a blurred pink figure above me. Estyn.

"Oh! You've come to!" She exclaims, smiling. "We were starting to worry. You've been out a couple of hours."

Have I? I look up. The sun has definitely moved, judging on the new placement of the sunbeams shining through the broken roof. I see Maria is talking with Lara and another figure. Golden fur of the dark variety. That must be Volt. Estyn notices me looking and smiles more.

"Volt recovered almost instantly. He's a shy boy but he wants to say thank you." She waves over to the three. "Hey, Volt! Come over here a sec."

"O-OK…" Volt is the youngest of the three, probably slightly older than Tails, with wary amber irises and he's wearing a white jacket with black baggy jeans and amber and black striped sneakers as well as zero gloves. His jacket and jeans sport thunder bolt marks. He stutters on his words as he approaches me. "H-H-Hi…n-n-nice to meet y-you."

"L-Likewise." I manage to say, struggling to sit up. Everything spins but it soon settles. Volt reminds me a lot of a boy called Ray from our dimension. Ray is young and has a really bad stutter as well as having low self-esteem and a cowardly persona. Volt basically could be seen as his counterpart in this dimension. Lara acts a lot like myself while Estyn…well…I guess she's like Amy with her optimistic and cheery outlook. Estyn helps me to my feet though I easily stumble due to my shifted balance. I then find my feet. Lara and Maria come over, with Maria hugging me so hard I almost fall over.

"Guess we really owe you, huh?" Lara guesses, getting four nods. She sighs. "Alright. We'll help you rescue Aethon. We have easy access seeing as we're technically part of the Rebels, though we're known as unreliable. We're spies and we guard the village for any traces of Aeon's guards which we don't see as often but we have zero interest in hurting her. She holds the Sky of Time together, after all."

"The what of what?"

"The Sky of Time? That is what this place is called, dummy."

"Shut it, you."

"Is that a challenge, stripes?"

"STOP!" Estyn yells, making me and Lara back down. I hate her and it's clear she hates me. That doesn't matter. The three lead us out of the backstreets then and actually out of Avaritia itself to another small hamlet. It's pretty far from Avaritia but you can still see the Time Citadel, Aeon's "palace" as it were, in the distance, towering into the golden clouds up above. The barren ground becomes laced with green luscious grass and plants, like a farm. The small town is only half the size of Avaritia, but it sure feels more secure. Estyn points to the village up ahead. "That is the village of Shamrock, so named because four leafed clovers are its native plant. The rebel base is inside. Shush." The village has a stone wall around it, barely defense but guards are patrolling the perimeter. Two stop when they see us.

"Halt! State your business!" The first, a dark green chameleon with a crooked horn, snarls.

"Spy Squadron B-6 reporting in with two wannabe members."

"Names?" The second, a female cyan-haired chipmunk with black fur, drily asks.

"Estyn, Lara-Za and Volt."

"So, you bring wannabes?" The chameleon muses, looking at Maria and myself. "The male I can believe but this one…" He playfully pulls at her quills. "…she's way too cute to join the Rebellion. Sorry dearie, this place is way too dangerous for a cutie like you."

Maria's only response is pushing him away and wounds him with an Aqua Blade. The chameleon jumps out like a ninja, whistling.

"Whoa, this baby's loaded! Lock and load, eh?"

"What have I told you about being a pervert, Nin?" The chipmunk snarls to Nin, who nervously laughs.

"Come on, Vera, she's barely a teenager! I'm making a good point."

"I personally think she'll make a versatile warrior with her aquakinetic powers. Wait here. I shall alert Lordess Kasey about your arrival."

"She is aware that Lordess is not a real title, right?" I moan. Estyn laughs.

"She is a bit egotistical."

Great…

"Alright, we'll permit you entry." Vera unblocks the door and forcefully drags Nin away as he swoons over Maria.

"He's creepy."

"I second that."

We then head into a huge hall of sorts filled with soldiers in dark uniforms, guns prepped. Kasey is a skunk with pink and black fur in comparison to the normal black and white colour scheme. She's wearing an all-in-one black jumpsuit that must be too small for her seeing as it's extremely tight. She has black leather boots and gloves as well as black hooped earrings. This girl is beyond emo.

"I thought I made it clear I didn't want to see you jokers here again." Kasey muses, faking a bored tone when her fuchsia eyes shine with extreme rage.

"I know that, Lordess Kasey, but these two have expressed desire in joining our cause." Lara states, talking much more seriously than earlier and much less aggressively. This grabs Kasey's attention. Two lads then come out of the shadows to inspect us. One is an icy blue wolf and the other is a brown muscular beaver.

"They seem structurally sound." The wolf reports. "However, I'm not entirely comfortable about the girl joining, ma'am."

"I assure you, I am perfectly capable of defending myself." Maria shows off, grinning.

"We could also do with more like your kind, stripes." The beaver chuckles. "You look like a dark powerhouse."

"Watch what you say or you won't live to tell people the truth about me." I darkly joke, making him nod in understanding. Kasey is watching in amusement.

"So full of spunk and spirit, it seems. I underestimated you three. I take back anything I have said about your incompetence. I thought campaigning had failed but it seems you three have single-handedly brought back two new fighters. Willing fighters for a bonus! Very well. What names do you go by?"

"My name is Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Life Form."

"And I'm Maria Robotnik, the…um…Ultimate…um…Little…hehe…Sister…?"

"Did you really have to foil my wordplay?"

"Well, sorry for me always being forced to suck up to you."

"Very well, Shadow the Hedgehog, Maria Robotnik, I welcome you to the Sky of Time Rebel Forces. Gabby! I want you to show these two their chambers."

"Yes, mistress." Another skunk bows, with her being pure black with small pink highlights here and there as well as dark purple eyes. She's wearing a pink bodysuit that stands out against her black fur. She gestures us to follow and she leads us to a metallic corridor with a sensored door. It's really basic, with low beds and thin sheets, but it's not like we're staying here long. Maria then frowns as she feels something in her pocket. A phone of sorts? A message comes up in dark font.

 **We'll come through the vents once Volt hacks into the security cameras. Just stay frosty until then, 'kay? – Estyn**

"Is the room alright for you?" Gabby asked. I nod and she leaves, but a young dark brown mouse comes running, holding a small doll, laughing. She sees us and jumps up and down manically.

"GABBY!"

I remember Estyn and Lara talking about this girl. Danielle. Brain damaged and can only say basic words.

"Hello Danni." Gabby greets in a monotone manner. Danielle (I'll just call her Danni too) smiles.

"Miss you! Miss you!"

"You should be at your post." Danni pouts and points at me.

"Who this?" She points at me.

"Shadow. This is Maria." I introduce.

"Shadow…Maria…Friends?"

"Yeah, we can be friends, Danni."

"Yay!" She then hugs Gabby. "Love Gabby…"

"Off, Danni. Get back to your post." Gabby warns but Danni must have a short attention span as she runs off, ignoring us pretty quickly. Gabby sighs and turns to us. "We shall see you tomorrow for a special orienteering." She reports, walking off and the doors shut close, locked. I try opening them but it's a no go.

"Just super. Now we're the ones who are locked up." I growl, lying on the bed in anger only to squirm at the hard mattress and broken springs.

"Think they suspect?"

"They better not! Ugh…can't they hurry up or something?"

XO

I eventually fall asleep, though it's interrupted by the bad bed, whether I roll onto a spring that pricks my leg or hip or if I accidentally roll into the wall. A clattering noise wakes me fully, as me and Maria see Estyn's head popping out of an open vent shaft.

"Hurry up! Volt can't keep the cameras occupied for long. Lara's trying to bust into the security room. Then, we'll have full control of the facility and they won't even suspect."

"Alright. Back up then." I demand and she shuffles backwards, allowing me and Maria to climb inside. It's tight and dark, but Estyn's body glow pink and she easily lights the path.

"How do you do that?"

"I'm psychic, so I'm using an Aura Light to light our way. Cool, huh?"

"Never heard of a thing like that and I know a psychic."

"It's a rare gift." We come to an intersection and Estyn uses the split road to turn around so she's travelling forwards. She decides on going left. We eventually come to a chute but it seems pretty far down seeing as even Estyn's Aura Light doesn't illuminate the bottom. "Follow me down." She slips down, followed by myself. I almost land on her. I get trampled by Maria as she lands on my back.

"Sorry."

"I-It's alright…just get off me." Maria instantly complies and jumps off as we continue in a narrower vent. Eventually, we come to a large metallic mesh which Estyn easily opens. We jump onto the ground, only to land in liquid. Dark water of some kind that feels slimy against my skin, making me quiver in disgust. "Yuck!" Maria shudders, face screwed up in hate.

"Sewer…no better place to victimise a god." I state, gagging at the water's foul stench. Estyn seems to ignore it and begins heading off, gesturing to us.

"Follow me. Quick and quiet." We trudge through the sewer water, mentally cringing the entire way, until we come to a huge metallic door. Estyn scans her retina just as her transceiver goes off.

"Estyn, it's me. I've got into the security room. I'm in full control now. I've deactivated the alarms on Aethon's shackles. I'll leave the rescue to you."

"Rogar that, Lara." The door lock twists and opens vertically.

"Now what do we have here?" We twist around, panicked at the new voice. Watching us smugly is a black hawk with crimson eyes like myself, but he has a scarred muzzle, white tipped feathers and has a black jumpsuit on similar to the soldiers. He has twin pistols in his belt and an unnaturally long tail for a bird like himself. I charge up a Chaos Gun, Maria draws out her Aqua Blade and Estyn forms orbs out of energy. The hawk laughs and holds up his hands. "Relax, kiddos, I'm not your enemy. Name's Hawkeye. New member and all and I couldn't care less with the doctrine of the group. I just joined for the fighting experience. I was actually hunting the sewers for you. I figured you'd go looking for the Space God himself."

"Can we trust you?" Estyn darkly asks. Hawkeye shrugs, somewhat hurt by the question.

"That's your call but..."

"Alright…you can come but we'll have our eyes on you."

"Can't go anywhere without being victimized…" Hawkeye follows us into the dungeon, slightly dragging his feet in the water which is much shallower then before, only coming to just above our ankles. Eventually, we reach some cells up on a higher platform away from the dirty water. One of which has the bars lowered. The person inside instantly screams "God" if you looked at his appearance closely. He's a bronze-furred hedgehog with a black cloak lining his back with the lining being like looking into a portal, as it's like a universe but is actually moving on its own. He's wearing a gold and black uniform and golden metallic boots. He looks asleep. Estyn taps the metallic wall to wake him up but the noise is so sudden that he jumps and falls onto the hard floor, clutching his head.

"You could have woken me up more…" He trails off, noticing we're not of the group. "…Mind I ask who you are?"

"We'll tell you our names later." Estyn explains, helping him to his feet. "Are you Aethon?"

"Yes, my name is Aethon." Aethon nods, bowing. "And whom do I have the pleasure?"

A sudden alarm goes off.

"Oh crap. Cut the chitchat, folks. We better move." Hawkeye calls. Estyn unlocks Aethon's shackles and he accompanies us.

"Aethon, you wouldn't happen to have a teleport power, would you?" Estyn asks. Aethon sheepishly shakes his head. "The God of Space can't teleport?"

"…Kasey took the majority of my powers away since she has my Power Amulet."

"Oh…! You mean this thing?" We skid to a stop. Kasey, Gabby and five soldiers (including Danielle, the beaver and the wolf from earlier) are in front of us. The other two are females. One is an orange tiger with a Goth outfit on and the other is a pink and white spotted Dalmatian with cold black eyes. All five had guns and swords. Kasey is waving a golden moon amulet in her hand that makes Aethon's eyes narrow.

"That does not belong to you."

"I am fully aware of that. Unlike you, I shall use it to benefit the mortals…unlike you Gods who care nothing about our wellbeing! All you do is make us suffer!"

"That is not true! Us Gods have problems too, especially when a demon is destroying universe after universe! I wouldn't be surprised if he soon attacked this realm as well!"

"The God makes a valid argument, Lordess Kasey." Hawkeye backs up, bringing something out of his pocket. "…But I will be the one to wield it." He fires a beam at Kasey's arm, instantly making the amulet fly into the air. Hawkeye grabs it and evilly grins. His form changes into one I instantly recognise. White dreadlocks. One eye visible. Metallic mask. Long tail. Red aura. Infinite.

"W-Who are you…!?" Estyn fearfully mutters. Infinite's eye glows in amusement.

" **Who I am is none of you concern, child."**

"You always know where we are, don't you? Stop stalking us, already!" Maria screams.

" **Excuse me, but why on Earth would I stalk pathetic mortals such as yourself? I'm just on a mission for certain objects. I believe they're called Soul Plates."**

"Soul Plates!?" Aethon growls. "Those are forbidden objects. You have no right to seek them, you malevolent scum!"

" **I would watch your tone."**

"Tch…you are NOT the boss of me, you insolent swine! Identify yourself!"

"His name's Infinite." I explain. "He's from my and Maria's universe."

"Y-Your universe…?" Aethon looks at me oddly. "So you are from an alternate reality?"

"Yes. Infinite wants control over all multiverses, though why he would want the Soul Plates is beyond me."

" **I am fully aware that all 300 Soul Plates will prove my downfall."** Infinite teases, throwing and catching the amulet in his hands. **"But, if I collect them first, I can harness their power and destroy the Centre of the Universe, easily destroying every universe in existence, allowing me to create my own universe where I rule as a God. You won't be able to stop me, so don't even try unless you value your short lives."** I see Estyn smirk as the amulet suddenly glows pink in mid-air, taking everyone, including Infinite, aback and it flies down to Estyn, who quickly throws it to Aethon. Grinning. he activates the amulet, casting the entire group in a golden light and we find ourselves magically outside Avaritia.

"Good save." I hear Lara's voice. We turn to see her and Volt, who I guess Aethon also teleported out. I see a red glow strike the sky in the distance.

"We best get out of Infinite's line of sight. We don't stand a chance against him."

" **Too late."** An energy blast almost hits us, but we manage to dodge. **"Hmmm…one God, one Ultimate Lifeform, one child, one psychic, one pyrokinetic and one electrokinetic…I could kill you all into 5 minutes, though it seems my little illusion hasn't completely shattered you Shadow. You amuse me more every time we meet. I have to say, I can't help but be impressed at how mentally strong you are…"**

So he was the one who sent me that nightmare…just to make me stop fighting. I should have known. I'm guessing also that the pyrokinetic and electrokinetic are Lara and Volt and it's pretty obvious as to which is which. Eventually, I decide enough is enough.

"Infinite, you and I have a score to settle." I announce, forming twin Chaos Guns. "I won't go down as easily as last time. Last time, I was distracted."

" **I warn you, Shadow. Any foolish move and I will kill your pathetic blue friend."**

A new object forms in the sky, making me instantly back down.

There, red mist floating around him, is Sonic.

"…H-How…?"

" **You really thought a time lock would prevent my plans? I would have thought that goddess would have taken my newfound Godhood more seriously, but alas, her mistake only highlights what a fool she is."**

"If you don't let him go, I'll…!

" **Kill me?"** Infinite laughs at this. **"If you had an brain, you'd know that I would kill this hedgehog without mercy. I have no further use for him. Let me show you…"** He flicks his hand and blood spurts from a new wound on Sonic's arm, seemingly from no weapon. Infinite grins and pulls a strange cyan amulet (circular in shape) from his pocket. **"…it seems his words rang truth after all…"**

"If you have no use for Sonic, why keep him?" I'm reverting to reverse psychology. All I can hope for is that, somehow, Infinite isn't as cruelly intelligent as he makes out. "I mean, what can he do to you? To us? Think about it. You've already broken him enough. You might as well go onto another goal." Infinite is silent for at least 10 seconds, thinking my words through. I see something enter his eye. A strange gleam. Almost like…guilt. Sorrow. A visible sign of apology. He eventually sighs.

"… **So you really want him that bad. Interesting. Fine. Take him!"** He cancels the spell and I rush to catch Sonic before he hits the ground. I look at the wound on his arm. Not fatal, but it's pretty serious. I growl and look up, but Infinite has already left.

"Shadow, is he alright?" Estyn worriedly asks. I gently shake Sonic. A small whine comes back, surprising me. Last time I saw him…he was in a coma…and only a day has passed…unless there is a difference in the flow of time between here and there. I stand, Sonic in my arms and I eye the Time Citadel.

"He'll be fine but we need to get him somewhere safe. Aethon, you come with me and Maria. If the rebels come back, you three can hold them off, right?"

"We can sure try." Lara grimly smirks. I'm expecting a comment from Aethon about not following orders but he agrees, teleporting Sonic, Maria and myself back into the courtyard. We wander around until we see Aeon.

"Sister!" Aethon calls out. Aeon jumps at Aethon's voice and beams, running forward to embrace him.

"Brother! Oh, I am so glad you are alright." She sees me. "Thank you Sha…" She's seen Sonic. "Is he alright?"

"I don't know how…but Infinite bypassed your time spell. I think he's alright, but his arm…"

"Let me show you to the infirmary." She leads us to a large hospital-like room highly kitted out in almost every medical machine imaginable. I lie Sonic on one of the beds while Aeon gently treats the gash on his arm before tightly binding it with a bandage. "There. All done. He should be OK now." As we turn to leave, I freeze when something hits my ears.

"…S-Shadz…?"

I look at Sonic. His eyes are half-open, looking at me with quite a bit of confusion. How long has he been conscious? God knows. He manages to awaken fully and weakly smiles at me, sitting up to look at me properly.

"Sonic…h-how long have you been…?"

"N-Not sure…"

"Doesn't matter. What's important is that you're alright. How are you feeling?"

Sonic doesn't answer the question, almost like he can't put his feelings into words. It's evident that he's scared, evident by his raised quills and darting eyes. I smile and I sit next to him on a chair.

"You don't have to worry. You're safe here." I only get a shrug. He sees the wound on his arm and assesses it. "Oh, that."

"I-I won't ask."

"It's alright. It's barely anything."

"Where…where is everyone?"

Uh-oh…I feared he would ask this. I have to answer it in a positive way.

"They're fine, don't worry."

"Then…w-where are they?"

Damn. He's good at getting to the truth of the matter, even if he is a bit mental.

"…Well…the thing is Sonic, we're not exactly on Mobius anymore."

"Eh…?"

"Me and Maria are on a mission to collect the Soul Plates to defeat…" I pause, quickly thinking of a way to say Infinite's name without inducing a psychological meltdown. "…you-know-who…and basically save all universes."

Even if I didn't say Infinite's name out aloud, Sonic instantly gets who I'm talking about. He looks away, eyes wide. He's starting to violently tremble, breathing slow and deep. I wave a hand in front of his face. He doesn't react. His hands grip the sheets tight. I try shushing him but it falls on deaf ears as his ears don't flick at the sudden noise. I can hear him mumbling some things under his breath. His breathing then quickens, almost like he's preparing himself to scream but luckily he doesn't. After a few minutes, he seems to calm down, though I can tell he's practically on the edge of sanity here.

"…You alright…?" His eyes jump in my direction, almost like he's forgotten I was here. Without warning, he speeds out of the room, leaving a sharp gust of wind behind. "…What in the world…?" I quickly up and follow, easily catching up to him since he's not running at full power. He sees me and tries running faster, but he is unable to. His legs must be stiff, plus he hasn't done this in 6 months, so he's bound to be rusty in that department. I manage to finally corner him but he cowers, hands over his head as he finally lets out a loud scream. Needless to say, it alerts Maria, Aethon and Aeon. I kneel in front of him, seeing as it seems he's afraid of me. "It's alright, Sonic…everything's alright now…" He looks at me and screams again, shouting something so high-pitched that I don't catch the words. "…What? I…I didn't catch that." I inch closer but he whines.

"D-D-Don't get any closer…" Comes his whimper as he makes himself smaller. "D-Don't hurt me…please…"

"Sonic, I wouldn't hurt you. Where did you get that idea from?" The idea is so absurd. He removes the hands from his ears but fumbles with them in the space between his knees and chest (so that I can't see them). "Why would I hurt you?"

"…B-Because…" He pauses and I can see he's now crying. "…you're a demon…"

A…A demon…!? I bite my lip as I realize he's hallucinating again.

"Sonic, I'm not a demon, honest. You're hallucinating; you're seeing things that are only illusions. You need to snap out of it!"

I want to shake him, but I won't be able to get close without him doing something stupid and reckless. I have to be careful. I decide to back off a bit and that slightly calms him down.

"…What's the matter, demon?" He asks, half-confused but half-mocking. "…You don't want to take my soul?"

"When did he believe in demons and reapers, anyway?" Maria asks in confusion. Aeon sighs.

"I fear this is something Infinite made him see during his imprisonment. He must have made him see his friends as demons that only want to hurt him. This is not only a hallucination but a flashback as well…he is reliving a past illusion." I nod at the information but Sonic pipes up again before I say anything.

"Is that it then? Am I not a tasty soul?"

"Sonic…"

"You've already killed me…so why not finish the job? I know why you did it…I had one moment of happiness and you stole it away."

Moment of happiness?

"A moment of happiness?" I play along. I want to hear more. "Explain."

"You know what moment I'm talkin' about, demon."

"Actually, no, I am not aware."

"Shadow." I freeze when he says my name. "You had to make it Shadow that I saw when I woke up in this…" He looks around. "..surprisingly angelic version of Hell. The one person I saw as a true friend…the only person I could ever love…and you morphed into…into…a _monster._ Why!? Is this all a game to you!? Am I just that useless that all anyone can do to me to torture and you with me, just to throw me away!?"

…I can't hear him rant anymore. I ignore the fact he's hallucinating, the fact that he's shouting to my face. I hug him hard, taking him aback. He wiggles, screams bloody murder but I refuse to let go. I find myself in tears. He eventually stops struggling, realizing it's useless. He relaxes.

"Please…stop talking." I whisper. "It's really me, Sonic. I'm not some monster or demon…it's really me. It's like I told you…hallucinations can't touch you…right?"

I hear a shocked gasp.

"…Shadow…i-is that…r-really you…?" I tighten the hug in response and he returns it, now breaking down into tears of his own. I hear footsteps, which I guess are Estyn, Volt and Lara. I hear them talking, asking what is going on and I hear Maria filling them in. "…I-I-I'm sorry…I-I thought that…"

"It's not your fault…it's mine." I get silence, which I take as a gaping look. "…That battle with Infinite…you remember that, right?"

"…Infinite…?" Oh. So he doesn't know the jackal's name.

"The jackal in the mask."

"Oh…him…y-yeah…that battle in the City."

"I was there…watching…unnerved by the whole thing…but I was so self-centred…so dumb and so prideful that I refused to acknowledge that you were in trouble…but by the time it hit me…it was already too late…everything you've endured over the last 6 months…it was all because I was a fu…" I stop myself from swearing. "…a freaking coward…you're welcome to hate me." Sonic lets go of the hug, like I expected but he takes me by the shoulders, much to my surprise.

"…You know I could never really hate someone…"

"B-But…"

"Listen. When were you one to self-doubt yourself? I've never seen this side to you…but that's alright, seeing as I'm in a similar situation. That jackal was no joke…and I doubt if our combined forces could have taken him down…so it's all good." He uses a hand to wipe my tears away. I remember then something he said.

"There is…one thing you said during that little illusion though."

"Huh? What part?"

"Something about me…what was it…being the only person you could love? What was that about?"

Sonic tenses up, face going an embarrassed red as he hides his face, shaking his head.

"I-It was nothing…nothing at all…oh, God…why did I say that!?" He's really unnerved and clearly uncomfortable in this situation but I need the truth.

"Sonic, have you got a crush on me or something?"

"No!" I raise an eyebrow. "A little bit…"

"Since when?"

"Er…the…ARK…incident…?" I mentally slap myself. Of course. Now I know why the Sonic in that ice dimension loved his Shadow so much. That was a metaphor of what COULD have been. I should have known. "…Do you hate me now?"

Half of me does. Yet, the other half doesn't. I double check my emotions. I'm not angry. I'm not mad. I don't hate him, nor dislike him any more than I have mentioned before. I almost admire him for being so bold and so honest. Yet, the idea that he does indeed love me isn't as shocking as I thought it would be. Why? I guess there's only one answer.

"…Are you going to answer me?" Sonic's looking at me directly, annoyed that I haven't given an answer. "…Do you hate me!?"

I answer with me taking him by the shoulders. I can feel he's shaking. He tenses and closes his eyes, thinking I'm going to hit him. I don't. I make our lips connect, and his eyes shoot open in wild surprise. I can imagine the people behind must be bewildered but I don't care. After a few moments, I feel Sonic kiss back. I decide then enough is enough and I pull back.

"Does that answer your question?"

"…" He's speechless, red in the face, teary-eyed. "I-I…"

"I think I love you too, Sonic…it's the only way I can make sense my feelings."

"Um…as much as this is moving, can we focus on more important things!?" Lara interrupts, eying us in disgust. "Can you get any grosser!?"

"I thought it was really sweet." Maria smiles, beaming. "Sure, it's not your typical love but…"

"They're both guys!" Lara exclaims, pointing at us. "How does that work!?"

"It's called being gay." Estyn eyes her darkly. "It's a thing Lara. It's not gross nor illegal nor indecent. Love is love, regardless of gender."

"But…! Volt…say something!"

"M-Me…? I-I didn't mind it."

"Ugh!" She marches off, annoyed and pissed. I narrow my eyes.

"That girl has serious issues."

"I'll go talk to her later." Estyn mumbles and then comes up to Sonic. "Oh, right, introductions. I'm Estyn and the fox is Volt. The echidna was Lara."

"Friends of yours, Shadz?"

"Sort-of, yeah. They helped rescue Aethon." I gesture to the bronze hedgehog who waves when I say his name. Sonic nods a greeting to the god and turns back to Estyn.

"Nice to meet you too, Estyn."

I'm starting to understand Sonic's altered personality. He's his normal self when he is happy and calm, but stress, anger and fear causes the hallucinations, paranoia, illusions and the suicidal thoughts, almost like a different personality takes over. I can see the mark across Sonic's neck when he slashed himself, but I refuse to bring that up. We'll get over that hurdle when we come to it. Aeon smiles and comes over.

"It is an honour to meet the Prime Dimension hero in person. You may call me Aeon. I am the Goddess of Time."

"Heh, nice to meet you, Aeon." He then turns to me. "So…these Soul Plates…can I help?"

I don't answer straightaway. He really wants to help? I don't want to say no, seeing as being the hero is who he is…but in his condition, it's not safe.

"…I know how much you want to help Sonic, honest I do, but I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why not?" He then gets angry. "What, you don't trust me or something?!"

"No! Nothing like that! I was just worrying that, with your condition, you could get hurt!"

"I can handle myself still!" Comes the reply. "I'm going and that's that."

Still as stubborn as ever, it seems. I sigh.

"Alright, suit yourself."

"I will, thank you." He then stops and I see him cup him mouth. "…I'm sorry…I wasn't trying to be so mean and selfish…"

"Sonic, it's alright and you're right. You can handle yourself and I do trust you. I just don't want you to get hurt." He smiles at this.

"Shall I show you your next mission?" Aeon asks and I nod, but Estyn pokes my arm.

"Shadow…do you mind Lara, Volt and myself tagging along?"

"What? Why?"

"Well, we want to be heroes too! All we are seen as are misfits of a rebel group that threaten people. That makes us villains! I don't want to be that at all! We want to be recognised for who we really are. Is that alright?"

"Y-Yeah…!" Volt jumps in, determination in his eyes. "I-I-I want to help too!"

"Come on Shadow…please can they join?"

"You only want them to join so YOU can be closer to Volt." I darkly mutter in her ear. She sheepishly giggles. "Ugh…alright. That makes 5 of us. Where's Lara?"

"Still moping. I'll go get her." Estyn runs off and returns 4 minutes later with Lara, though she's dragging her by the dreadlock.

"No! I ain't going!"

"Lara, grow a heart, will you? This will be fun!"

"For you! I ain't going anywhere those two male lovers go!"

"If you're goin' to be like that, maybe you shouldn't come!" Sonic mutters. "Short-minded little…whatever."

"If I may…"

"THIS DOESN'T CONCERN YOU!" Estyn, Sonic and Lara shout at once, making her back down.

"…I hate it when democracy does not work."

"Just show us. They'll be arguing for a while anyway." Maria sighs, ignoring the endless argument going on at the side of us, though Sonic gets bored and joins us.

"Ugh, girl talk."

"Here is your next mission." She activates her orb.

I see a castle. A kingdom? The people look wealthy enough and we see 6 knights sitting on Mobini black horses. They have shields, swords and lances at their disposal. They also have jewels around their necks that look like purple stars. Is that the Soul Crystal of that universe? Must be. They all have different coloured armour: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and black. They enter portals and emerge later with treasure, money and other items of interest. I see a young princess of sorts in a throne room and each knight shows them what they have obtained but she keeps throwing a tantrum. The girl looks similar to Cream actually. One of the knights, the black one, has a devilish look. Not good.

The vision fades.

"What you have seen is the Oceania Zone. The Kingdom of Oceania is protected by 6 "Dimensional Knights" that search other dimensions for the most coveted of prizes for their child ruler, Princess Ginger, but she is unaware of the lengths her knights go to make her happy. You must stop them before they go much too far."

"Will do." Aeon activates the portal. "You ready, you guys?"

"Hell yeah!" Sonic grins.

"Ready if you are." Maria smiles.

"L-Let's do this." Volt stutters.

"Lara, we'll sort this out later." Estyn glares at the echidna who scoffs.

"The sooner we get this done, the sooner I can beat your face in."

We all jump into the portal. I have no idea what will happen but why do I have such a bad feeling about all this…?

 **Plates Collected: 2/300**

XO

 _ **[Infinite's POV]**_

"So...you have returned."

 **I don't know why I agreed to join forces with this guy, seeing as I am more than capable of destroying that black hedgehog and his allies on my own, but I only agreed to this alliance for extra firepower. The hedgehog in front of me, also with plans for universe domination (as well as being an ACTUAL God), is a grey-furred menace with black marks around his soulless and snake-like cyan eyes as well as sharp claws and razor sharp teeth. He's twice my height too, so that in itself forces me to suck up to him.**

 **"Yes, I told you I would come back."**

"Where is the blue hedgehog you said you have captive?"

 **"I had no need for him anymore. I let the black hedgehog have him."**

"I see. How interesting. That black hedgehog from that other dimension you originate from does indeed have a spark inside of his soul."

 **"I see no need in commending the enemy, Zielo."**

 **Zielo only smirks at my comment.** "Rest assured, Infinite, I have a plan of my own." **He gestured to a hedgehog female watching us. She's one of Zielo's mindless slaves, a "Soulless".** "Once my game has begun, I can assure my newest weapon will be ready to tear them apart but first, I must punish the Sons of Heephis for meddling in my plans. We shall meet again here in 3 days time. Does that suit you?"

 **I smirk at him, although he cannot see it. "That works just fine."**

 **ED: Saigo Made II by Aqua Timez (Gintama)**


	4. Mission 3: Oceania Dimensional Knights

**OP: Boku no Kotoba Dewanai Kore ni Boku-tachi no Kotoba by UVERworld (Heroic Legend of Arslan)**

 **Hey…Infinite is not in this chapter…interesting…but there is a massive twist…any fans of Hell Girl will get the new focus of the story.**

 **Also…a very popular transformation is appearing in this chapter. What transformation, I hear you ask? Oh, that's a secret! Hehehe.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

 **XO**

When we all exit the portal, it's to find we're in mid-air. I look down in a sort of comic way, eyes small.

Crap. Just…crap.

Now we're falling. Everyone, even me, is screaming bloody murder. I manage to grab everyone's hand and perform a teleport to a rooftop.

"Everyone alright?" I look around. Everyone is slowly getting a grip on their nerves.

"Stupid Goddess…that wasn't funny…" Lara scolds the sky. I can almost imagine the smile on Aeon's face. Estyn is helping Sonic to his feet. He's badly shaking but I can't say I blame him, though his eyes are dark. I gently push her aside and I look Sonic up and down. No wounds. He's clean from any blood, thank god but now I hoping the sudden shot of adrenaline hasn't triggered an illusion flashback. Luckily, Sonic blinks a few times and he looks at me, slightly confused.

"…Er…why are ya lookin' at me like that, Shadz?"

"I…um…it's nothing." I scoot away, somewhat embarrassed. I see Volt is struggling to get to his feet and Maria is looking him over. My guess is that his ankle's gone from the sudden landing.

"Volt, you alright?" Estyn asks in alarm, helping Maria to get the fox to his feet, though his face screws up in agony.

"N-No."

"His foot _is_ pretty badly swollen…" Maria gulps but backs off when she sees me glaring at her. I get a tap on my shoulder and it's Sonic, gesturing to me to come over to him for a private word. Oh god…

"What?" I ask. "Look, if you think I was looking at you weird, I'm sorry, alright?"

"It's not that, Shadow." Sonic denies, though he looks at me hard. "I've seen this twice now and I want a proper answer."

"Seen what?"

"OK, I know it's not my place to say, but what exactly do you have against Maria and Volt interactin'?"

I huff and cross my arms.

"…Nothing."

"Don't give me that. I know you. You don't want her fallin' in love."

"Is that really wrong?"

"Considering we've been in a relationship for around 20 minutes, yes. She's young, 12 or 13? She is old enough to have a boyfriend y'know. You're not her boss."

"Yes, I am. She wouldn't be here if it wasn't for me." I then look at him. "Also, you've crossed the line."

"What line?" He asks, hands in the air in his usual cocky tone. "I didn't see you draw one." I can see the rest of the group are listening in to our argument but this has gone too far for me to stop.

"If I don't want Maria and Volt dating, then they aren't gonna date! End of story!"

"I say again, you ain't her boss, Shadz! If she wants to date, she can! She has rights! Or maybe you don't look into that because you've never cared about other people's rights!"

 _SLAP!_

Both of us freeze as I feel my hand hurt. Sonic's face is sheet white, the right cheek pink as he backs away, looking crushed. He says nothing as he starts crying.

…What did I just do…? Did I just…slap him…? I hear gasps behind me. I did. I hit him. No, I slapped him. Why did I do that!? I also back away, my mouth cupped by my hands, one stinging as hell. To say there was silence is an understatement. You could hear a pin drop. Eventually, I hear Lara pipe up.

"Well…that was eventful…"

"Shut it, Lara." Estyn warns.

"This is your fault, Estyn."

" _My_ fault!?"

"You had to just _sign_ us up for this blowjob. I'm going solo. I'll go after one of the knights myself. I'll take the green one." She goes off.

"Fine, be unreasonable! I'll take the red one!" She also runs off. Maria sighs and looks at Volt.

"Want to go together?"

"N-N-No…because y-your "brother" won't a-allow it. You t-t-take the orange one. I'll take the y-yellow." Volt runs off in tears, badly limping due to his ankle. Maria also takes off before I can stop her, leaving me and Sonic alone. I don't like this silence but I'm too scared to say anything. Just as I bring myself to speak, Sonic notices and stops me.

"Don't. Jus'…don't say anythin'. I don't wanna hear it. I'll take the blue one. The evil black guy is all yours." He runs off in a blue blur, quills whipping side to side. Just like that, the team falls apart. I should feel something…anything…but I just feel numb. Everything has just fallen to pieces in 2 minutes flat.

All because of me.

I growl to myself, my fists clenched though my right one still hurts. No-one is talking, no-one is co-operating…this isn't how it should be. If Infinite was here, he would have a field day taunting me. My legs suddenly decide to pack in as pain fills my entire being. What is this feeling?

I think I know. Heartbreak. He didn't say it, but I think my budding relationship with Sonic has gone out of the window. That wasn't what he needed…and he was making a valuable point. I don't want Maria falling in love…because I don't want to lose her. If she got a boyfriend, chances are she'll walk out of my life because she doesn't remember our history. Why didn't I just say that? Why do I cause people nothing but hardship? I punch the ground…er…stone. I want to cry but I can't manage it because I'm so numb. I stay like this for at least 5 minutes until I find strength to stand.

I still have to carry out the mission, do my part. We're a team no matter what. I'll have to sort out team turmoil later. I can't let that distract me. I just worry about Sonic. Can he even handle himself after what Infinite has done to him? Will violence trigger a flashback or hallucination? I hope not.

I use a drain pipe as a pole and I slide down to a market street. I don't want to steal but I ain't got a choice. I don't fit in here. That much is obvious. I grab a cloak to conceal myself and I slip in and out of the crowd. I hear a loud neigh from behind me and I dart accidentally into a young girl: a black female panther dressed in a gold top and leggings, alongside beige sandals and jewellery.

"Oh! Sire, are you alright?" She asks, helping me to her feet. However, the man riding the horse stops in front of her and dismounts, bowing before her while caressing her hand before I can answer her back.

"Good morning to you, Mirage, my love." Mirage only scowls at the man, snatching her hand away from him.

"I've told you a thousand times, Jet. I don't have feelings for you. Get lost." Jet, which is the knight in black I'm looking for (I like this coincidence), chuckles and stands normally.

"Playing hard to get, huh? I like it." She goes off, shaking her head. He notices me. "What's up with you, kiddo? You look down in the dumps. Something up?"

Kiddo…!? If he wasn't so important, I'd kill him just for that alone.

"…No, I am fine."

"You don't seem fine to me. Looks like you've had your heart broken or something, mate. You'll cause a storm with that look."

Is he psychic?

"…You're knowledgeable. Yes, it was something like a breakup but I'm not sure."

"Why? What exactly happened?"

"Why are you even interested? Aren't knights above peasants in terms of social standing?"

"Yes, but you're a breathing Oceania resident, right? We all have equal rights here, 'member?"

I play along.

"Oh…right. I must have forgotten." In order to keep the act going, I have to tell him and something tells me he knows when people lie. "…I have a friend who recently confessed to me. We had a bad argument that resulted in…well…me…um…slapping him…even if I didn't mean to…"

"Huh…that's deep stuff…here's some man-to-man advice. We all do things we regret. Me? Huh, I hate answering to that brat of a princess."

"You mean Princess Ginger?" I get a nod. "She doesn't seem that bad to me."

"Ugh, you don't have to wait on her hand and foot 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! It's like babysitting a toddler, what with her tantrums and all. Have to go to other universes just to find things to amuse her and that doesn't last long! Anyway, my point is this: you need to man up. Sure, you did something that upset this chick…" I struggle to not roll my eyes and correct him. "…but she'll come around, I'm sure. Girls are literal boomerangs." I don't correct him again because I don't know Oceania's policy on gay marriages nor gay people in general so I stay silent but I nod in understanding. He pats me on the shoulder and remounts his horse. "Sorry, 'ol chum, but I have duties to attend to. Hey, hope it works, eh?" He takes off, whooping. I just blink. For a sinister enemy in disguise, he sure has a lot of personality. I sigh before taking off after him. I see him in an empty alley, opening a purple and black portal and trots through it. I dash after him and get through before it closes. We're in some valley with a dark sky and little wildlife. I look around. The knight has gone.

"Shit…" I curse to myself. I then notice something pink lying on the ground ahead of me.

Estyn.

I dash over, gently placing her head on my knees. She's alright but unconscious as well as having a bit of bruising to the back of her skull, evidently showing she was knocked out with some blunt object like a club. I gently shake her as she murmurs, her pink-purple eyes flickering open in confusion. She looks up and jumps upon seeing me.

"…Shadow?"

"Are you alright, Estyn?"

"Yeah…um…yeah, I'm alright. Ow, my head…" She rubs her skull. "That stupid red knight got the better of me. Must have knocked me out with that shield."

That's a new usage for a shield.

"And you deserved it too." I look up to see a red-armoured knight on a black horse, similar to Jet, but this knight is definitely female. She jumps off and removes her helmet, revealing herself as a red dolphin. She unsheathes her sword and points it at us. "Identify yourselves quickly or I will personally send your heads to the Princess's pet crocodile and he tends to get mighty famished on hot days like today."

"I'm Shadow and this is my friend Estyn. I assure you, it was not our intent to cause inconvenience. We were sent to your kingdom to complete a mission that could save the universe as we know it. Please, all we ask for is some information." The knight blinks and lowers her sword.

"Then I shall not delay you." She then bows. "My name is Knight Dawn of the Oceania Royal Dimensional Knight unit. It is my pleasure to meet your acquaintance."

"Likewise."

"So…how can I assist you?"

"Well, you can start by apologizing to me for knocking me out like that. That hurt, you know." Estyn scolds and Dawn chuckles.

"Apologies, milady…I was only following protocol. Section 7-C of my contract orders me to subdue any and all potential stalkers, enemies and thieves using my shield. Killing them without proof for violent behaviour is against the code of knighthood. I again apologize for attacking you in such a manner."

"Eh…a mere "sorry" would have been alright."

"OK, onto information…what do the Dimensional Knights do?"

"Our task is to please the ruler of our nation, Princess Ginger. She has a rare medical disease that prevents her from aging both physically and mentally, forever trapping her in the body of a 6 year old child. Because of her age, Jet, the leader of our band, is considered King but it is an open secret he desires more than just a fake crown. We go all over, even different worlds, to bring gifts to Her Highness to amuse her. She gets bored easily however and her cries are able to affect the ground and the skies, forever bringing rain and earthquakes among the city…though Oceania is built with this in mind."

"I understand your noble motive to zone-hop, but it is causing dimensional rifts and ripples that are slowly destabilizing the fabric of space and time, making universes lose orbit around each other and causes strain of the fragile universal balance. We were sent to stop this."

"I see…so our actions are that dangerous…" Dawn muses, her face falling.

"I also wouldn't be surprised if the Zone Cops were on your tail."

"Zone Cops?" Estyn asks.

"The Zone Cops pilot the entire multiverse and the thing that they hate the most is zone-hoppers. I'm guessing you wouldn't like to be behind bars…"

"No…it would forever shame me and my unit. To be imprisoned of any crime is the ultimate failure and humiliation for a knight. It would tarnish our names until the day we die."

"But…Jet…he has a secret agenda, doesn't he? He's after the throne." Estyn points out and I nod.

"Yes and we can't let him get away with it. Dawn, can you contact the other Dimensional Knights?"

"I can try." She taps a machine on her wrist. "Knight Dawn to all knights. Please come in." Five large squares come on in the air in front of us like a hologram. Three faces come up: a female orange canary, a yellow and black striped female bee and a male green deer.

"Knight Dusk here." The canary sings.

"Knight Sun, reporting in." The bee nods.

"Knight Moss, now online. This better be good." The deer moans.

"We need to await Knight Azure and Knight Jet." Sun orders. One of the square fuzzes and a dark blue male mouse appears.

"My apologies for the delay. Knight Azure, here to assist." Another square goes and Jet appears, somewhat flustered.

"Knight Jet, ready to act. What is the matter, Dawn?"

"I have news to tell you all. We have to stop zone-hopping to please Her Royal Highness."

"What is this, Dawn?" Moss looks surprised. "Are you betraying your kingdom and her Highness?"

"If she is, I'll do the clobbering." Jet grins. Azure sighs and growls to get silence.

"Cease this senseless bickering, the pair of you! Let Dawn speak!" Moss and Jet sigh and remain silent.

"It has come to my attention that our zone-hopping is causing reality collapse. I beg of you to all return to Oceania immediately. Bring anything you have."

"Can I talk to them for a second?" I ask and Dawn nods, approaching me so I'm in the camera's radius.

"Who are you, knave?" Moss snarls. Jet grins.

"Hey, if it isn't that black hedgehog from earlier. How did it go?"

"You know this peasant, Jet?" Azure asks. Jet chuckles and nods.

"Yup. Has a lady issue."

"And just like that, you've spread my little problem. Thanks." Estyn shrugs behind me. "Anyway, Dawn is correct. Zone-hopping cannot continue any longer, believe me, I know. Just with me and my friends zone-hopping is bad enough, but the universe can't handle six knights who do it on an hourly basis. Also, I have friends who have been following you also for information. I was following Jet and Estyn was following Dawn. You…the bee…Knight Sun, was it?" She nods. "My friend Volt was following you. Young fox. He's limping so he shouldn't be too hard to catch."

"You got it."

"Moss, a pyrokinetic echidna called Lara is following you."

"Ugh, I have more important things to do but alright."

"Dusk, you've got my little sister Maria following you. She's a golden hedgehog dressed in blue."

"Don't you worry, sire. I will bring her back with me."

"Finally, Azure, I need you to find Sonic. He's a blue hedgehog, should be easy to spot. Just…be gentle with him, alright?"

"Blue hedgehog?" Azure asks instead of the OK I was expecting. "You mean…spiky hedgehog…green eyes?"

I freeze.

"Y-Yes…"

"Ah…" He bites his lip. "That is…a little problem…"

"What problem?" I growl, my voice slow and hard. Azure smacks his lips together in anxiety as he twiddles with his fingers.

"I…um…d-decided that Her Highness would like him so I t-took him to the…well, you-know…palace…"

"You _WHAT!?_ "

"I-I assure you I have not harmed him, sire!"

"I know Her Highness wanted a new playmate but did you have to, Azure?" Sun scolds, arms crossed. Azure's only response is a nervous shrug. Sun groans and face-palms. The other knights also look both annoyed and awkward.

"What do you mean by "playmate"!?"

"…Her Highness gets very lonely…so I thought the hedgehog would make the perfect friend for her. I asked him about it and he agreed."

"Wait…Sonic willingly agreed to this plan?"

"Barely needed persuasion. I told him the idea and he was alright with it. He did seem a bit…I don't know…troubled, I suppose."

What is that idiot up to…?

"Alright. We'll grab him once we get to the castle."

"All knights, we shall convene at the palace courtyard. Is this suitable for all of you?" Dawn asks.

"That is acceptable, I suppose." Moss groans and he cuts off.

"We shall see you there, Dawn!" Sun sings, also disappearing. Azure merely nods before disconnecting. Jet chuckles.

"Welp, looks like the fun is over. I'll be there, Dawn." He also cuts off. Dusk sighs and looks hard at me.

"You better not be a villain, hedgehog."

"Believe me, I wouldn't lie when the universe is at stake."

"We shall see." Dawn cuts her off and helps me and Estyn up onto her horse. She then puts her helmet back on.

"Hold on tight. Go, my steed!" Her horse neighs and quickly accelerates in a speedy gallop. Dawn activates something on her chest and a portal appears. Going through it leads back to Oceania. The castle is quite big and is made from grey stone slabs. A golden flag is flying on the pole. The black gates leading to the courtyard, decorated with bushes and a fountain are open. We're the first ones here. Dawn leaps off and removes her helmet once more. She reaches into a satchel and feeds her horse a handful of oats. "Good boy." He neighs in happiness. I hear hooves and turn around. It's Moss with Lara. Looks like she's still a bit pissed. Estyn turns away when she tries meeting eye contact.

"Thank you for the ride, Moss." Lara sarcastically thanks.

"Do not take that tone with me, milady." Moss snarls back.

"She's always like that. Just leave it." Moss only growls at my comment. Sun and Dawn then turn up with Maria and Volt. Lastly, Jet and Azure come in and I can tell Azure is feeling guilty for what he has done.

"Hey…Shadow?" I turn and look at Maria, who looks up at me. "…Is it true what Sonic did? He agreed to be a friend to the Princess?"

"I have no idea why he would…but yes, he has. Me and him need to have a talk…and I need to apologize for everything. I also need to apologize to you, Maria."

"Huh?"

"Sonic was right about one thing…I am too bossy over you. I feared you'd leave me if you ever fell in love…so that's why I kept barring you and Volt from interacting…but that stops now. If you two ever want to do things, go ahead."

Maria's in awe, evident by her silence. She smiles and hugs me.

"Thank you."

"Hey, you're like a sister to me. Of course I want you to be happy."

"I'm glad…and I would never leave you Shadow, even if me and Volt did began an item." She giggles and blushes.

"That reminds me, Volt. How's the ankle?"

"S-S-Still painful." He mumbles. Lara taps her foot and looks at Estyn.

"On the theme of apologies…Estyn, I shouldn't have blamed you for the team falling apart…I also owe you a BIG apology…for that and the whole thing back at Aeon's place…"

"Hey, best friends forgive and forget." Estyn pulls one of Lara's ribbons out playfully. Lara bites back a snarl but smiles anyway as she tries reattaching it.

"I…should have seen something like this coming. You're such an airhead."

"Guess there is still one apology to take care of." I then say, looking up at the castle.

"We best get inside. Look. A storm is brewing." Sun points upwards and it's true: clouds are swirling in the sky. Lightning flashes within the darkness and a cold hurricane-like wind picks up.

"No. This isn't some regular storm…"

"It must be the Gods." Jet mumbles fearfully, gulping as he regains composure. "We must protect her Highness from their wrath."

"Hang on…this isn't caused by a God." Everyone looks at me as I think. "I've…seen this before…somewhere…but where…?"

Think.

Think!

…No…

It…It couldn't be…

That being…only seen once before…during the battle with the Meterex…

"I remember…that's the sign of Dark Sonic."

"Dark Sonic?" Estyn asks, shaking. "Doesn't sound good."

"Pray you tell us about this "Dark Sonic"?" Sun asks, confused. "Is he dangerous?"

"Very much so. I don't know the full extent of his powers. I've only ever met him once. It was back years ago…when the Meterex had tried to conquer Mobius…"

XO

" _Shadow, grab Chris and Cosmo and get out of there! Something wrong is going on in there!"_

 _I growled at the Doctor's voice. I was working for him at the time but I only did it for my memories' sake. Amnesiac as I was, I relied on that Robotnik connection for scraps of my past, but I had remember very little in the weeks of that small span of service. I knew what had happened. Both the Doctor's ship and Sonic's, a modified space ship called the Blue Typhoon, which was built by his friend Tails had detected Chaos Energy from an abandoned Meterex ship. Me and Rouge were tasked with finding the emerald but Sonic, on his own (which was pretty stupid) was after it too as well as rescuing his friends Chris, a human and Cosmo, a Seedrian. At the time, everyone, me included, were oblivious to her betrayal. They had been kidnapped by the Meterex shortly before the expedition._

" _Affirmative, Doctor." I spoke back. Rouge sighed next to me._

" _Ugh…I can't wait to get my hands on that emerald."_

" _You would."_

" _Oh, lighten up, will you, hon?"_

 _I refused to answer. We then heard explosions, screams._

" _What in the world…!?" I sped off after them, leaving Rouge behind. "Shadow!"_

 _Ignored. Part of the floor had caved in. When I peered down, I froze._

" _Well, I found the source of that energy, Doctor. Turns out it wasn't one Chaos Emerald, but millions of fake emeralds."_

" _Fake emeralds!?" The Doctor screeched. "It's a Meterex trap! Shadow, Rouge, get the hell out of there now! We are leaving!"_

" _Not yet. Something else is going on here. I'm feeling a different energy. Rouge can go back alone. I'm doing a private investigation."_

" _Fine but we're not waiting up for you!"_

" _Whatever. Do what you want." I switched off my mic and continued into the ship. A sudden gust of wind blew towards me. It was very strong, like I was in the middle of a hurricane or tornado. Lightning was sparking from a room further up the ship. I sped in there unprepared. I could see the remains of two Meterex: one silver, one gold. They were a wreck, like they had been involved in a thousand battles. Not even a simple spin dash could do that high amount of damage. I then saw him._

 _Sonic._

 _Well, it was obviously him but he looked…different. His quills were glowing black and were spiking upwards like in his Super Form. He now had claws. He was standing sideways on and hadn't noticed me due to the smoke and wind. His eyes had no pupils: just glowing, empty sockets. He had a grin on his face with fanged teeth, almost deranged. He was glowing a maleficent navy and something was in his hand._

 _A piece of green and white fabric, covered in blood._

 _I recognised that fabric. It looked like the fabric that was Cosmo's dress._

"… _Sonic?" He turned to me and devilishly grinned. He said nothing. "What the hell is wrong with you!?"_

"… ** _Isn't that obvious?"_**

 _Even his voice was different, though not so much he was unidentifiable. I could still detect his voice mixed within the echoes and the deeper tone._

"… _No, not really. What happened here?"_

" ** _Those Meterex dared to hurt our friends. We had to stop them."_**

"… _We…?"_

 _It then dawned on me that Sonic and this…thing…were in the same body but not the same person, almost like a split personality. I sighed and charged up a Chaos Spear._

" _Well, I think you definitely did your part. You can go back now."_

" ** _Oh no, no, no. Not yet. Come on, Shadow, let me have a little bit more fun first, eh? It's been a very long time since I have had control."_**

" _What about Sonic?"_

 _That got him. He froze and looked at me in a curious way._

" ** _What about him?"_**

" _I know to want just what or who you are…and why have you taken over Sonic's body!? I want you to tell me everything you…" I didn't get to finish the sentence as he lunged at me and pinned me to the ground. He was faster than before and much stronger…and a lot more dangerous._

" ** _You may address me as Dark. You could say I'm the components of Sonic's…let's say…yang side. Every negative thought, every bad day, every moment of anger, hatred, despair and sorrow all woven into one colossal and vengeful being. That is who I am. Sonic couldn't bare seeing his friends hurt or scared. Dare I say it's his one weakness? Loneliness is a part of Sonic's history, and one that originally made me alive. However, being in the background isn't enough for me. I only get a few opportunities to come out and play, to give the world the wrath Sonic just doesn't have the bottle to unleash."_**

" _So you just take your anger out on others? Do you ever think of what Sonic wants?"_

"… ** _Well…"_** _He unpinned me and backed off, sighing._ ** _"I…suppose I did come out a little without warning…"_** _He looked at me._ ** _"But we shall see each other again…when the stakes are a lot higher. I can predict our next meeting. 6 knights and a princess, as well as a team of 5 universal warriors, the castle of your third mission is_** **_when I shall next appear. When hatred is unleashed and all seems lost, when you battle an infinite foe, my bonds shall be broken at last."_** _That wasn't even a proper riddle. Sonic's body went back to normal as his quills dropped and his fur turned back into that normal azure. His eyes returned but they rolled back into their sockets as he lost consciousness. I then carried him back to the Blue Typhoon where Chris and Cosmo were._

" _Sonic!" Chris called, helping me with him. "Is he alright?"_

" _I think so." I curtly nod. Cosmo comes up to me. I can see her torn dress and she has blood trickling down her leg from a gash on her thigh._

" _What happened, Shadow? We couldn't get a hold of him and when he saved us, he destroyed those Meterex like butter but we ran before we saw what…"_

" _It's a complicated story, kid. I'll leave Sonic to tell you…if he even remembers." I went off, refusing to talk anymore about it and also ignoring Cosmo's calls. Since then, Dark hasn't resurfaced and asking Sonic about it resulting in a usual "I don't know". I never thought he would come back._

… _But I guess I was dead wrong._

XO

Everyone looks at me in both horror and shock.

"So…he has a demon in him…" Azure growls.

"No, Dark isn't a demon. He's a reflection of all negative parts of Sonic's soul. It's like all his inner darkness has now got a mind, body and soul of its own. Needless to say, he's after something. Amusement probably."

"But…Sonic's not evil." Maria points out.

"No, he's not. Sonic and Dark are two sides of the same coin. They share a body but are two separate entities. Sonic has no control over Dark's actions and vice versa. Dark's taken full advantage of this whole team split…and what I did…was probably what helped Dark become free. His riddle…" My fists clench. "Because of me, I've again put everyone in danger…"

"Shadow, come on. We can take him. There is one of him and eleven of us! He's outnumbered! How hard can it be?" Lara shrugs.

"Don't say that! You'll jinx it!" Estyn scolds. Lara again shrugs in an "I-don't-care" sort of way.

"Hang on, riddle? Dark gave you a riddle about this encounter, sire?" Moss asks. I nod.

"He said: "6 knights and a princess, as well as a team of 5 universal warriors, the castle of your third mission is when I shall next appear. When hatred is unleashed and all seems lost, when you battle an infinite foe, my bonds shall be broken at last". It means that the knights and us, when we come together in the third mission, aka our mission in Oceania, while fighting an "infinite foe", aka Infinite, is when he'll next appear, as seen now."

"First things first, we must find Her Highness. I swear to God, if that creature has hurt her in any way…" Dawn darkly growls.

"OK. I'll leave everyone to find Ginger. I'll fight Dark myself."

"I find it strange though. Dark said "5 universal warriors"…shouldn't it be 6?" Lara asks. I think. That's right. There are 6 members of the team: myself, Maria, Estyn, Volt, Lara…and Sonic. Then why not 6? I think harder. Is Sonic not counted? Excluded from the group? Just how many events have been manipulated here? I sigh.

"Doesn't matter about that. Go find the princess. Leave Dark to me." I run off before anyone can argue. The lightning intensifies and seems to be trying to hit me but is failing miserably. Is he missing on purpose or is he bad at aiming? I then come to a hall of sorts. A small throne is at the end, with someone cowering in fear. A young beige and brown rabbit wearing a small dark gold gown that has been slightly ripped around the hem. She's crying. "Princess!" She looks up and runs to me, happy to see someone. I bend down to her level. "Are you hurt?"

"N-N-No…my friend…he hurt me…"

"Don't worry…you'll be fine. I need you to go find the knights." At that moment, the doors burst open and it's Azure. "Azure, take Ginger."

"Yes, sire." He picks Ginger up. "Are you alright, Your Highness?"

"Uh-huh…" He carries her out of the room while I hear a dark laughter from up above me.

" **So…"** It's Dark, sitting on the chandelier with ease, arms and legs crossed in a smug manner. **"…we meet again Shadow."**

"Wish it could be under better circumstances."

" **Well…I did predict this, did I not?"**

"You must have some twisted logic if you're willing to show yourself when we're in the middle of a bloody reality crisis!"

" **It is your own fault, Shadow. Do you have any idea how much Sonic was hurting after all that? Hurt by the one he loved…the one who had promised to protect him, to love him, to fix him. It felt like our hearts got ripped out, like a spear had gone right through us. It hurt. It really hurt. He hates you, you know that? Maybe I should kill you for what you have done. That is what a sly traitor like yourself deserves!"** He shoots a blast of energy and I'm caught in its deadly line of sight, getting blasted into a wall. The attack is so strong I can't stand. I lose the ability to speak. I know how much he was hurting…I felt it myself…only he would feel it a lot worse. I broke him. I lose the will to fight, to even put UP a fight.

"…Listen to me Dark. If you want to kill me for what I did to Sonic, go ahead."

"… **Wait…what?"**

"You heard me. I'm owning up to my actions. Yes, I hurt Sonic…but I never meant to. I was selfish enough to let rage mute my common sense. In the end, instead of trying to sort the argument out like a pacifist, I ended it in abrasive violence. I deserve any and all punishment you send my way, even death if you feel like it. So I'm going to say it again: do your worst. I won't resist. I won't struggle. I won't fight back. Have your way with me. Kill me if you want. I don't care."

To say Dark is taken aback is a big understatement. His mouth is hanging open, his soulless eyes blinking in some numb shock. I'm not sure if he's doing that or it's Sonic…if he's even listening. That's when I see a single tear run down Dark's face which quickly turn into a torrent. He rubs them away, growling ferally.

" **No…why am I…? Why am I…crying? No…no, I can't…I won't…stop it…I can't listen…I won't…won't…listen…"**

" _You can stop now, Dark."_

I recognise Sonic's voice float out of nowhere.

"… **What?"**

"… _You don't need to do anything else. You can stop now. That is an order."_

" **No…I was told to avenge you…you told me to hurt him like he did you…I won't stop…I WON'T STOP!"** He fires a beam of energy at me and I'm forced to dodge. Now that Sonic is listening, it fuels me to actually fight this sicko. **"Grrr, no fair, bastard! You said you were gonna let me kill you!"**

"I did…but Sonic wants his body back. I'm going to help him get it…and ensure you are eradicated forever!"

" **That will never be. Darkness can never be dispelled from someone's soul…but we shall meet again, under the sakura cherry tree, with a straw doll in hand; a red ribbon noose around his neck. May Hell consume you, Shadow…and pray you suffer under the Lord's eyes forevermore!"** He lands on the ground and his form melts back into Sonic's. Just like last time, he falls and I catch him before he lands face first onto the floor. I then growl at the riddle as I think the words over. It's even worse than the other one. At least that one had a rhythm to it. This one makes zero sense. A cherry tree? Hell (which doesn't exist)? A straw doll with a ribbon around its neck…? After a minute or so, my thoughts are interrupted as he groans and begins coming to, rubbing his forehead in pain.

"…Are you…are you alright…?" I gently ask, keeping my distance as he staggers to his feet. I'm scared of what he is going to do. I'm right to be cautious. He backs away from me, shaking. I can feel the hate. I don't notice that tears are slipping down my cheeks. Like I've said before, I usually feel embarrassed but I notice that I don't really care anymore. If Sonic sees my tears, at least I can convey my guilt instead of stuttering on words that might, to him anyway, mean nothing. My vision is blurry now because of how hard and fast the tears are coming, so much so that I'm suddenly startled by arms hugging me around my waist. I see a blue blurry shape around me. "…What…?"

"Shush." I hear a mumble. He's crying too but he's smiling. He wipes some tears around with his thumb, like I did to him after the Avaritia mission. "…Don't cry anymore, 'kay?"

"But…"

"No buts." He continues mopping me up. I start doing the same to him and he giggles. "See? Much better…apart from the red face."

"And red eyes."

"And that."

"So…you're not mad at me?"

"Not mad…but I'm not that happy."

"Thought so…after what I did…I don't deserve anything nice from you. Just that was a bit of a surprise."

"Yea', I heard you say all that." He looks at me sadly. "I think we're both at fault. You for…well, you-know…but I was the one who went too far and pushed you."

"No, you were right. I am too controlling on Maria. I've learnt my lesson and I'm permitting them interacting from here on out. I won't control them now." He says nothing at first but then looks at me.

"…Did you really want to die that bad?"

"No…It just came out. I didn't want to fight you. Dark may be a separate entity but he's still you. I could never hurt you. I'd rather you beat the crap out of me than me doing it to you and hurting you without trying to. I wouldn't be able to live with myself." I'm starting to cry again.

"You love me that much?"

"Yes. I do."

"Shadz…" He hugs me, sniffing. "…I'm sorry…for running off like that. We should have talked it through like adults and what did I do? Heh, I ran away from my problems. Like always." He plants a kiss on my cheek; it's a gentle one. "…I love you too, ya darn goofus." He gently flicks my ear with his fingers, chuckling.

"Does that mean we're good?"

"I think so. Yea', we're good. Where are the others?"

"With the knights and Ginger."

"Oh, yeah…the princess." He looks at me up and down. "…Y-You're hurt."

"It's nothing. I'm fine." I notice blood trickling down my arm and I'm covered in dirt, dust and bruises. I have a few slight burns on my torso too where the attack was most concentrated. Sonic backs away from me, in tears as he cups his mouth. His entire body is violently trembling. "Sonic, it wasn't your fault. It's alright, honest." I gently assure. As soon as I step forward, he takes at least five back, refusing to accept my words which is obvious when he frantically shakes his head. His legs cave in. As I run to him, he screams, blowing me back. His hands over to over his ears and his tears become more intense. He's having a flashback of an illusion, no doubt about it. I sit across from him and I shush him, stroking my fingers against his raised arms. His eyes are open but unseeing. He's also muttering stuff but his voice is so quiet that the words are only breaths. He scrunches his eyes closed, almost like he's trying to not see something. I hear him then talk.

"…I-I'm sorry…"

"Sonic, don't apologize. You have nothing to apologize for." I doubt he can hear me as he screams again.

"…P-Please…I'm sorry…f-forgive me…a-a-all of you…"

Is he referring to his friends or someone else? I can't tell. The illusion seems to end as he instantly relaxes and breathes heavily, eyes wide open in traumatized terror. He flinches when I stroke his shoulder. He rams into me, sobbing. I hug him back, shushing him while running my fingers through his quills. It doesn't calm him down.

"It's over now." I assure him. "Everything's OK." He listens and he then calms down, wiggling his body out of the hug and he rubs his eyes, grimacing. "…What did you see?"

"…I-It's nothing."

"Sonic…"

"I said, it's nothing!"

"Sonic, I know it's painful to remember, honest, but I can't help you unless you tell me." Sonic thinks for a minute and sighs.

"…I saw them all dead."

"Our friends?" He nods and he's beginning to tear up again.

"...They were all dead and I could hear their screams…s-saying it was all my fault…I-I didn't want to hurt anyone…and I hurt you…"

"Dark hurt me, not you."

"Dark IS me!" He yells. "We're the same!" His fists clench. "I guess that means one thing, huh…I'm a mo…"

"Don't you dare call yourself a monster because you're not!" He looks at me in surprise. "So what if Dark is a psychopath? He won't harm me because it will harm you. He may go out of his way for amusement but, in the end, Dark's sheer existence isn't your fault! You're not a monster because you and Dark are not the same in the slightest."

"W-We…we're not?"

"Not in a million years."

"If you say so…then I guess you're right…" He takes a deep breath and stands, helping me up too. "…can you show me where everyone is?"

"Yeah, let's go find them."

XO

It takes us 15 minutes to find the group. They're in, at least at a guess, Ginger's bedroom. Dawn is trying to fix her gown. She's babbling away to Maria and Estyn, stopping when we enter. She shudders and hides behind Maria. The knights give us dark looks.

"So…you decide to bring _him_ back?" Dusk snarls.

I tighten my grip on Sonic's hand so he doesn't bolt. I can tell he's tempted.

"It's like I told you. Dark and Sonic are two different people but they share one body. I assure you, he's safe."

"…Very well. If you insist." All the knights back down and Ginger, having heard this, peeks from behind Maria.

"Shadow, is it?" Ginger asks, leaping off the bed and coming up to us, though I act as a barrier between her and Sonic in case she starts screaming at him. She doesn't. "Have you ever heard of the Hell Website?"

"The what?"

"The Hell Website!"

"Ginger, what have we told you? That website doesn't exist." Moss scolds but Ginger starts crying.

"Does too!"

"It does not!"

"Moss…don't start her off…!"

"IT DOES TOO!" The entire ground shakes with her scream. The floor slightly cracks but the room is still standing. Nothing is broken as people catch vases and ornaments and place them neatly back on the shelves.

"What is the Hell Website?" Sonic asks, intrigued.

"You write a name in and you can send that person to Hell. Sasaki sends them."

Sasaki…that's a Japanese surname. Weird.

"You mean…actual Hell?"

"Uh-huh…! I heard some girls say it when I was out with Sun on Wednesday. You can only get on it when it is noon at night."

"You mean midnight."

"Yeah, midnight."

"Where is Jet?" I then ask.

"I think he went to go make Ginger some milk and cookies." Azure replies.

"I'm back." The door opens and Jet comes in. He places the tray on a table and Ginger helps herself. It's almost adorable. All of a sudden, we heard a loud bang and the room fills with smoke. I feel myself get pushed hard into a wall and I hear a scream.

Ginger.

As the smoke clears, I look around. Everyone has been attacked, evident by everyone rubbing their heads or having small trickles of blood on their fur. Sonic's on the floor near to me and it looks like he's out of the count. Swearing in my head, I check our person count.

Jet is missing. So is Ginger.

I was right…he really does want that throne. I see a sword lying idle and I grab it and leave the room. I see Jet pulling Ginger along roughly, his gauntlet-laced hand tightly around her slim, slender wrist as she is forcing to run at his pace. He sees me and curses.

"You're real damn annoying, you know that?"

"I'm not the one kidnapping princesses, pal. I thought knights usually RESCUED princesses!?"

"It's a stupid film trope. It's stupid. I deserve that throne better than this brat of a queen. I would marry her if she was as old as she is. She's 28 in real life, you know! Works out well with my own age, with that being a mighty handsome 26. Don't mess with me, stripes, or you'll regret it! Who knows? Maybe I'll kill that hedgehog friend of yours. He's the one who broke up with, isn't it? You have the audacity to enter Oceania with that link? You're disgusting!"

"Love is love, Jet, regardless of gender."

Jet throws Ginger aside and lunges at me with his sword in hand. I counter with my own and we get into a sparring match. I'm not good with swordplay so Jet easily disarms me and drives the blade into my shoulder. I grit my teeth from the sudden surge of agony. Jet laughs manically.

"Man, you're pathetic! I wonder how many stabs it'll take to kill you…?" He stabs again but the other shoulder. I damn well wish I didn't bleed to death easily…I so damn wish.

"Stop!"

"Or what, princess? What are you gonna…?" He stops. Ginger has something in her hand: a black straw doll with a red thread around the doll's neck. She has the end in her hand, ready to untie it.

"Do you want to go to Hell?"

I focus on the doll

"… ** _with a straw doll in hand; a red ribbon noose around his neck…"_**

So that is the doll Dark referred to…what does it do and why is she talking about Hell?

"Hell? What are ya gonna do, curse me? Go ahead! Hell doesn't exist!" Jet mocks, making Ginger cry.

"All you want to do is hurt me!"

"Hell yeah I do! You're just a brat who wants everything and anything! I would make a better ruler than you! Go ahead, pull that stupid string! Hell is not real!"

"Yes, it is! Just go to Hell! Go there and never come back!" She pulls the thread and a sudden gust of wind removes the doll from her hand.

 **Your grievance shall be avenged.**

Jet's form wavers and he screams as he disappears, his helmet and sword clattering to the floor.

"W…What did you…j-just do…?" I weakly ask. Ginger sadly smiles, the red thread still in her clenched hand.

"I sent Jet to Hell…" She smiles, dropping the thread. "Sasaki will punish him."

"Shadow!" I hear Sonic's voice. It sounds so faint despite me seeing him mere metres from me. I'm blacking out. He's over me, yelling if I'm alright but everything goes black before I can say anything to him.

XO

"…Shadz…please…please just wake up!"

Sonic's alarmed voice helps me regain strength to open my eyes. We're no longer in Oceania: it's the infirmary in the Time Citadel. The golden skies and silver sun shine right into my face.

"Hang on…" I hear Estyn's voice and the light vanishes, replaced by closed blinds. I look at myself. I'm covered in bandages…again. My guess is I'm going to get hurt every 2 missions. That seems to be the trend going on here.

"A-Are you alright?"

I silently nod. That in itself reassures him as he gently wraps his arms around me. His eyes are red. He's been crying again. Then again…I can't say I blame him this time around.

"I'll leave you two alone for a bit, eh?" Estyn offers with Sonic nodding.

"Thanks Estyn." He turns to me, faking a smile. "I'm guessin' Jet got the drop on ya."

"It's because I'm no good at swordplay. I was outclassed."

"It's good Ginger pulled that thread when she did."

"What was it with that doll?"

"That website that she said about? I looked into it. It's called Hell Correspondence. It seems you type the name in at midnight, you get a straw doll. Pull the string and you send said person straight into Hell and I mean that literally."

"…That is just messed up."

"Jet deserved to go to Hell."

"Maybe so but don't tell me you approve of this Sasaki guy. He's literally dragging people into Hell."

"…I don't know…bad people deserve to be punished. We should do that with Infinite."

"No! Even he doesn't deserve to go to Hell. Deep down, he's just as normal as you or me. I was the one who made him what he is today. We'll use the Soul Plates, just like the original plan was." I click at something. "The Soul Plate!"

"It was Jet's sword. It changed into some heart-shaped metallic plate thing just after you fell unconscious."

"His sword…I see."

"Aeon said you need to rest. We're going to a place called Techopolis tomorrow morning."

"Will I be healed by then?"

"Probably not but you're the vice-leader of Team Universe. We need you."

"Team…Universe…?"

"Estyn gave our group a name and she's called dibs on the leadership title."

"Being field leader is usually my job."

"Stop being emo and get some sleep." He stands and starts going out the room.

"Sonic?"

"Huh, what?"

"Are we…really good now?"

Sonic blinks and grins. "You bet we are, Shadz."

I smile back as he leaves the room. Looking at the ceiling, my smile grows. "I'm glad…"

 **Plates Collected: 3/300**

XO

 _I wake up with a start. Where…am I? An abandoned wasteland._

" _Well, let's see what you've got, O Brave Knight. You best step up or they'll rip you to shreds." I look around to see three figures. One looks like an elderly hedgehog with a beige fedora on his head (the one who talked) and a crimson scarf. The second, the only female, is a tall sexy cat wearing a kimono and is carrying an exotic Japanese-style umbrella. The last is a young echidna with a striped t-shirt and jeans, almost normal. I growl at them but get distracted by zombie-looking creatures advancing towards me._

" _OK, you undead freaks! Come at me!" The ground shakes and I'm lose my balance, but my sword slashes through one of the zombies. Soon, they're all dead but I can't move anymore. I'm pinned to a target board. The young echidna has a bow and arrow and fires at me, but barely misses as the arrow hits a space just above my head._

" _Darn, I missed." He moans, aiming up enough shot. Wait…missed…!? Is he…aiming for me!?_

" _Don't! Please, I beg you!"_

" _Are you going to repent then?" The woman taunts. "Your greed for power put an innocent child in danger and others too. Have you any idea how much you hurt those you saw as family?"_

" _I don't care! I didn't do anything wrong! It was her! She's not suited for the throne! I was doing Oceania a favour! I haven't done anything wrong here!"_

" _Well sir…I think this one is done."_

 _I look up and I see a young hedgehog boy standing in mid-air, his soulless red eyes on me. He's in a black uniform with a flowing cloak that looks like a portal to another world. Flowers are raining down on it like it was in the sky. He looks suspiciously like that damn blue hedgehog apart from the creepy eyes._

" _O pitiful soul lost in the darkness…bringing torment and pain to others…O damned soul wallowing in your sin…perhaps…it is time to die." I feel the arrow penetrate my head as everything blacks out. I wake up again, but I'm on a boat. It's peaceful, not scary in the slightest. Lanterns line the river and that bastard in the cloak is rowing the boat._

" _Hey! What do you think you're doing!? Send me back!" He says nothing. I go to move but a sword from nowhere stabs me in the stomach. No blood drips from me as I get stabbed from all angles. It's agony! How am I not dying!? I can't bear it! I then hear the boy talk._

" _This is vengeance…so I am to ferry you to Hell."_

 **ED: Weeping alone by Aira Yuhki (Tears to Tiara II)**


	5. Mission 4: Techno City

**OP: Only my Railgun by fripSide (A Certain Scientific Railgun)**

 **So, as you've seen, the whole show is now half collecting Soul Plates, half stopping people sending others to Hell. So…yeah. Only changed it because I didn't want to rewrite the whole story and…well…Hell Girl is my favourite anime of all time.**

 **Weird…only about 4 OCs in this chapter? Wow.**

 **Enjoy nevertheless. Don't worry, you'll get your regular Infinite intake this chapter.**

 **Paradise, Zielo and other TMOM characters belong to Gigi-D on DeviartArt.**

 **XO**

I'm woken by the sound of knocking. I check the time. It's 7:45am. Jeez. I ignore the knocking. I need some more sleep because I did NOT have a good night, not after the bad day I had (plus another terrifying and guilt-inducing nightmare that I will NOT detail on). I roll onto my front and I place the pillow over my head to blot out the noise. The knocking however continues.

"Shadow, you awake yet?" It's Estyn. I groan and I sit up, pulling a knot out of my quill fur with my fingers.

"I am now. What's wrong?"

"Can I come in?"

"Sure." Estyn comes in, somewhat nervous on what to say. "Estyn, whatever you want to say, just say it."

"…Well…it's about Sonic."

"Huh?" That wakes me up fully. After the whole meltdown thing yesterday, I'm guessing Sonic didn't get a good night either. "What's going on?"

"I don't know myself…I went to go wake him up but he was already up. I didn't think much of it but he seemed…off."

"Off?"

"He seemed really down. He wouldn't really talk to me much. You don't think he's ill, do you?"

"Best go find out. He'll talk to me." I jump up and I rush out of the room, but I quickly pull of the bandages. I don't need them anymore. The wounds are mere flesh marks now because of my innate healing abilities. All of the bedrooms are located in a private wing, each labelled with a special symbol. Mine is a green emerald, Maria has a droplet of water, Estyn's is a pink moon, Lara's is a flame, Volt's is a thunderbolt and Sonic's is a white tornado. I gently knock on the door. "Sonic? It's me. Can I come in?"

No reply.

I sigh and I fiddle with the handle. The room's in semi-darkness as the curtains are still drawn. Sonic's on his bed, sitting dead in the centre with his knees to his chest, ears and quills drooped. He almost looks on the verge of tears, purely based on his crumpled expression and shining eyes. I close the door behind me and I perch on the bed.

"…You alright?" I gently ask, keeping my voice quiet. He shrugs. I inch closer and I wrap an arm around him. I see a sneaky smile cross his face. "Mind telling me what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, honest. Don't get so worried 'bout me all the time, Shadz."

"Really? I mean, after what happened yesterday, I'd imagine we're both not feeling ourselves."

"Fair point."

"Come on, you. I won't tell anyone, promise."

"Heh, it's fine, it's just a raincloud."

"…Raincloud…?" I blink at him. The term is unfamiliar.

"I guess we all get that feeling…when a cloud above you is so heavy it drags you down. It makes you feel weird, almost sad all the time and you're unable to smile and shake it off…"

You…have to be kidding me…on top of everything else…!

"Sonic…y-you're…not feeling depressed, are you?"

Another shrug, but he's still smiling. Now, though, I can tell it's both fake and forced. It's not real and genuine sadness is in his usually happy emerald eyes. I tighten my hug.

"Tell me what I can do."

"What?"

"There must be something I can do…something that will make every day a little better for you. This doesn't go away in a day…it takes a while to get better."

"You're worrying too much as usual. Don't worry about me."

"And why can't I worry?"

The grip he has around his legs tightens.

"Sonic, you mean a lot to me. Of course I'm going to worry about you. I love you."

"I-I know that…"

"Then why? Why can't I worry?" My voices raises because I'm upset. Not at him but the whole situation itself, because this conversation just got way more complicated.

"Because I don't wanna be a burden anymore!"

Time almost freezes. He bursts into tears, pushes my arm off him and sits a fair distance from me.

"Please…just stop it. I don't want anyone worrying about me! That only makes me feel worse, alright!?"

"Hey, try and calm down for a second, alright? How does it make you feel worse? And…when did all this start…? You seemed fine before the Oceania mission."

"…I guess you didn't notice my mask, huh?"

"I…guess I didn't and that's bad seeing as we're technically boyfriends now."

"…Yea', I know." He shifts nervously. "I've had rainclouds for years…on and off…some days I felt like nothing could stop me while other days I could barely be bothered to get out of bed, though I made Tails think I was out running. I just…pretended to be normal so no-one would worry. They have other things to worry about than me. As to how it makes me feel worse…it just makes me feel…I don't know…like I'm always in the way…just a burden to everyone. How many Soul Plates would we have if I didn't go all psycho yesterday…or if…"

"Or if nothing." I managed to reach him and I firmly, but not too tightly, grip his shoulders. "…I want to help you. I don't want you to battle this alone: it'll only consume you over time. Believe me…I know from experience. You're not a burden to me or anyone else, alright?" He slowly nods in understanding. I pull him in for a hug but I feel him only tense.

"…Your hugs…"

"What's the matter?"

"Before…they felt so warm…so comforting but now…" I feel he's beginning to cry again. "…they feel so…so _cold_ …" I let go.

"You mean…they don't make you feel better anymore?" I see him shake his head sadly. So it's gotten that bad. I wipe his tears away with my finger. "That's alright…things are going to get better. I promise."

Knocking interrupts us.

"Are you two OK? We're leaving in 10 minutes!" It's Lara. Great.

"OK. We'll be right out." I call back. I turn back to Sonic. "You sure you'll be OK out there?"

"Shadz…I'll be fine."

Something about his tone tells me something is wrong but he grabs his sneakers and goes out of the room before I get a chance to question him. Maybe I need to tone down my interference but only minimally. Now that I know about his depression, I need to keep tabs on him. Combine that with the psychological damage, the illusions and panic attacks and you have a formula for another suicide attempt. I follow him to the Universe Altar. I can hear yelling.

"Why do you have to be such a wimp all the time!?" Lara. I swear if she is yelling at Sonic…I'm going to kill her. Literally. "All you do is scream and cry!"

"Lara…leave him alone! That's enough!" Estyn screams at her. I enter the room. Lara is in a right mood. Sonic's in tears.

"Someone has to show this runt his place, haven't they!?" Lara screams back at Estyn, unaware of my presence.

"U-Um…L-Lara…?" Volt gulps, meeting my angry gaze. "…S-Shadow heard you." Lara looks at me and huffs.

"So? I'm not scared of him."

I look over. Sonic's already bolted.

"Now look what you've done!"

"He'll be back." We wait a few minutes. Sonic doesn't come back.

"I'll go find him." I say.

"Oh. You are all already here?" It's Aeon. She's smiling. Darn her timed appearance. "I am glad all of you are punctual. Wait…where is the blue one?"

"He ran off." Lara moans, scratching behind her head.

"Who said I ran off?"

I turn. Sonic's behind Aeon, teary-eyed but actually here. Lara snorts.

"Y-You alright? You look green." I comment. His face is pale and slightly green-tinted. He nervously giggles.

"I…er…kind of threw up a bit. I'm all right now though."

"You sure you really want to come?" Maria bounds up to him, worried. "You should stay here if you don't feel well."

"And miss out on Techopolis?" He grins. "Heck no! I'm definitely comin'."

"Someone's manned up." Lara sneers. "God help you that your new attitude doesn't bite you in the butt." Sonic instantly tenses at her comment.

"If I may intervene…" Aeon says, bringing into being six golden bands of sorts, though she's also trying to ease the extremely intense atmosphere going on. "…I want you to have these."

"And what are these…?" I ask.

"They will teleport you back here in emergencies. I was meant to hand them out before the Oceania mission but it unfortunately slipped my mind." She hands them out.

"So…we can teleport back here if we're in a pinch?" Sonic confirms, snapping the band onto his left wrist. Aeon nods.

"That is correct."

"Volt, you're staying here alright? We need to let that ankle heal." Estyn says to Volt, who nods. His ankle is still a bit swollen. Guess this is a 5-man mission instead of 6. I also take the band and I nod at Aeon in gratitude.

"Thanks. These will come in useful." The portal then opens. "Are we ready?" At four nods, we all jump in, arriving in a busy city square. The buildings are massive and it's clear this city has high tech, seeing as the cars are flying and that the billboards are at least 4K high-definition. I even see one kid on a steel hoverboard. No-one blinks at us weird as the teleportation powers down. I guess random people teleporting from place to place are commonplace. I look at the team, which is now officially Team Universe. "All right, Estyn. Mind filling me in? I didn't see the overview."

"Oh, right! Apparently, a top CEO here is rumoured to be a skilled hacker involved with several scandals. It's not been confirmed but several rival businesses have had their systems hacked and have been wiped out."

"J-Jeez…what is it with secret traitors? Where do we go?"

"There. That tall tower labelled Apex. That's the company." She points to a tall tower lining the skyline with APEX on the glass in large and chunky red font. I grin.

"Then that's where we heading." As we start walking, I notice Sonic isn't following. He's looking almost dazed. "Sonic?" He jumps and looks over.

"Comin'." He runs up to me.

"You alright?"

"Yea', I just spaced out. Sorry 'bout that. I felt like someone was watching me." I glance at where he was staring. I see a shadow move in the darkness. Echidna shaped. He's wearing a striped top and has bright eyes. I shake it off.

"It was probably just the dark alley messing with your vision."

"Yeah…probably."

"We best keep together." Estyn instructs. "This city is massive. If one gets lost…it'll be like finding a needle in a haystack."

"That's the last thing we need." Lara moans. "That and wimps." She darkly eyes Sonic, who turns away in a sorrowful manner. I glare at her and I bare my fangs. She only smirks as she turns away.

"Don't let her bother you. Just ignore her." I whisper to Sonic who slyly smiles.

"Heh, it's fine."

Is it? I know he's faking that smile. Lara's comments are making his depression worse…or at least they will unless I don't stop it. We reach the Apex tower.

"I-It's massive!" Estyn exclaims. "I didn't imagine it was THIS big…"

"Are we raiding it then?" Lara asks, cracking her knuckles as they flame in readiness. Her flames are dowsed by Maria's water.

"No, not yet."

"You better watch those waves, Maria! I don't want them near my flames!"

"Quit it, you two!" Estyn attempts to calm the situation down but neither girl listens to her.

"Ugh…second mission in a row with this?" I moan, mostly to myself. I hear a whimper next to me. Sonic's face is even paler than before and now he's badly shaking. "Y-You alright?"

"Yeah…sorry…just need to sit for a moment." He sits on a bench just left of us, clutching his stomach. The argument ceases when they see something is wrong. I kneel and I feel his forehead. It's not hot, so it's not a fever. I think for a moment before sitting to the left of him, stroking his shoulder.

"Is he feeling sick again?" Estyn asks, visibly alarmed. Sonic shrugs.

"Sonic, if you're not feeling well, you really should go back. Being out here might just make you feel worse." I say that deliberately so he can interpret it in the way only I and he know. He gets what I mean, seeing as his eyes quickly glance in my direction. He shakes his head.

"No…I want to do this mission."

"Pffft…someone's stubborn." Lara scoffs, looking annoyed. I glare at her again. Estyn sits on Sonic's opposite side.

"You three go on in. I'll take care of Sonic."

"You sure?" I ask, not convinced. Estyn nods.

"As long as Sonic's alright with it." She looks at Sonic, looking for an answer. He slightly jumps, having not paid attention, but he just faintly shrugs.

"…Wouldn't mind." His voice is barely a mumble.

"Then it's settled."

"OK, we won't be long." Me, Lara and Maria enter the tower's reception. It's relatively quiet, except for a small people dotted around and the female reception worker behind the desk. It looks like she's being hassled by someone.

"Please! He must have some comment!"

"I've told you already, Miss. The CEO of Apex has no comment on the hacking rumours because he is not involved. He has already stated that in several televised interviews. Now, please leave before I call security."

"Grrrr! That's not good enough! I need to see him in person! Several rivalling companies to Apex have shut down due to hacking and it seems too convenient that Apex has not been targeted! This company only cares about its ranking more than the work lives of hundreds of Techopolis citizens. I even have evidence!" She pats a small waist bag. "Please, just let me see him already!" She's literally shouting. People are giving her dirty looks and the guards dotted around the room are prepared to leap on her if she starts getting violent.

"Miss, I must insist. Please leave." The receptionist, whose name tag reads "Tetra", backs away, her voice shaking.

"Excuse me." I tap the woman's shoulder. She's a tall aqua-furred leopard with intense brown eyes. "What is this all about?"

"That isn't any of your business, I'm afraid. It's confidential."

"Is this about that CEO?"

That gets her attention. She turns back to the receptionist.

"I'll be back in a minute." She gets a look that says "good grief" and comes up to us. "I'm sorry about that." She digs in her pocket and pulls out an ID card. "Atlanta Waters, freelance journalist. It's a pleasure."

"Shadow. These are my friends Lara and Maria."

"Well met." She nods. "So…you've heard the rumours too?"

"About the hacking?" Lara confirms with Atlanta and slyly nods. "It's clear he's up to no good. I want to give him a fiery punch to the gut."

"My, what a fiery spirit you have."

"Heh, I'll take that as a compliment."

"It _was_ a compliment, dummy." I hiss and Lara sticks her tongue out at me. "Anyway, there must be some way to get to the man in charge."

"You're talking about Amadeus Codex. He's head of Apex, which is responsible for many of the city's Wi-Fi ports and wireless free communications. My theory is that, due to competition, Mr. Codex has resorted to secretive hacking to shut down any company that begins rivalling his. The media abandoned the case 2 months ago but not me. He's doing it alright. I had a friend of mine due to background snooping and a secret camera recorded him hacking a company called TeleFex, which shut down 3 weeks ago."

"So…why haven't you done to the police yet?" Lara has her arms crossed. Atlanta sighs.

"I want Amadeus to admit to his hacking…but the furthest I've gotten is to the reception desk…"

"Well…if legal methods fail, we have to fall on the illegal."

"Are you seriously asking for us to go to jail?" Maria scorns me.

"Seriously, how hard can it be to get into one CEO room?"

"That's what we're about to find out…" Atlanta sighs again and looks at us. "I would appreciate some assistance in this. Thank you."

"Quit with the gratitude. You can thank us when we get the truth out of this guy." I snap. I think. There must be a way to get to the top of the tower without being seen. Wish we could become invisible or something. I get an idea. "I've got it!"

"Got what?"

"Lara, think you could pull the fire alarm? Make sure there is a small fire so it looks convincing. DON'T go overboard."

"Heh, I'll be glad to." She sneakily hides behind a pillar and pulls the alarm, shooting fire at her feet that quickly spreads. Everyone begins panicking.

"Out!" The guards yell in unison, herding everyone towards the doors. We're hiding behind a pillar and, luckily, the guards don't see us. The doors close and click, now locked. Through the smoke, we inch towards the elevator and we ride up to floor 156. That is a LOT of floors.

"Wow, you guys are good. Who actually are you anyway?"

"Team Universe! We save multiverses from those who want to ruin it…namely Infinite."

"Who is Infinite?" Atlantia asks Maria, who shudders.

"He's a being who wants to control the entire multiverse. He's after Soul Plates, energy bound in a solid metallic form. We're after them too. Infinite is very powerful and the Plates are the only thing that can stop his weapon: the Phantom Ruby, which can create illusions that can alter reality."

"I've heard of something similar. Terrorists nowadays use these gems called Dark Orbs to create illusions so they don't get caught, though what they do still is visible to the naked eye."

So…that is the Soul Crystal of this world. The elevator then stops and the doors open. It's just one long corridor with a large door at the end. We sneak up to it and we press our ears against the door. We hear talking and a bit of swearing. Guess a meeting is far more important than exiting the building due to a fire alarm, but at least it's convenient for us. I form a Chaos Gun, Lara brings out her flames and Maria forms dual blades with her aquakinesis. Atlanta has a Taser gun. Better than nothing. I kick the doors open, interrupting a small meeting between a large grey echidna behind his desk (Amadeus) and an echidna with a striped t-shirt.

Wait…echidna…striped t-shirt…so it was him who was watching Sonic when we teleported in. His bright eyes seemed inhuman, but I don't know why.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Amadeus shouts, slamming his hands on the desk. He reaches to call security but Maria throws one of her blades and the com system gets instantly severed.

"Atlanta Waters, sir, freelance journalist for the Techopolis Tabloid." Atlanta flashes her ID. "I have reason to suspect you have been hacking into other companies. I assure you, I have actual evidence on my possession. I hate to break up your meeting, but the police are on their way up here shortly to arrest you."

"When did you do that?" I mumble to her.

"In the lift." She answers me, approaching Amadeus with her Taser. "Listen up. If you want to avoid getting shocked, shot, burned and/or slashed…I want you to do a television broadcast announcing that it was indeed you who is behind these hackings. Do that and I might cut you a smaller prison sentence. If not…well…you'll get 10 years… _minimum._ You know in Techopolis that hacking is seen as just as offensive as murder or homicide."

"Um…murder and homicide are the same thing, you know."

"I didn't ask you." I bite back a retort. "Now…what is your decision?" Amadeus sighs.

"…You're smart. Fine, I'll do it." He has a small room connecting to his main office and it's a conference room. He types in something to a laptop and a television broadcast is suddenly cut off with his footage. He stands behind a podium with several microphones and begins speaking. "People of Techopolis, I am sorry for interrupting this morning's broadcast but this is an urgent matter on behalf of Apex. It has been circling that I, as well as many senior Apex managers, have been using illegal hacking methods in order to eliminate any competition Apex might have. I have denying these claims for months…but the truth is…they are indeed true. Many of you expected this, but I cannot lie anymore about the truth of the manner." By this point, police are on the scene, watching him talk with silent, stern expressions. "Apex will lose a lot of business from this scandal…and I am sure the company will eventually collapse…but it is better than more companies going out of business. That is all." The transmission cuts back to regular feed. Amadeus approaches the policemen and offers his wrists. He's swiftly handcuffed and led away in disgrace. The echidna's gone too. As we head back into the office, I see a familiar white light on his desk. Where a clipboard was is now a metallic gold and silver heart. A Soul Plate. As I grab it, I look around. No portal.

"You mean…that's it?" Lara asks.

"Short mission is short. Shouldn't the portal have appeared now then? We have the Plate."

"Maybe the portal spawned where Sonic and Estyn are." Maria suggests.

"Are those friends of yours?"

"Yeah. Estyn is looking after him because he's, quote-on-quote, "ill", which I'm sure is an excuse."

That is it. I've had it.

"What is your problem!?" Lara jumps at my tone of voice.

"Who put bees in your bonnet?"

"I have it up to HERE with you being a bully! Can you please QUIT it!? You have no idea what Sonic is going through, alright!?"

"Oh, please! I'm the only one teaching him discipline! He's just a brat! I mean, come on! One little snap from anyone and he starts crying! What's with that?"

"Alright, you. I'll tell you what is going on around here. Remember Infinite?"

"Uh-huh."

"Well, he's not just a powerful villain, you know. He's sick in the head! He kidnapped Sonic in their first encounter and tortured him for six months, alright!? That's why he cries so often which isn't his fault! Another reason is because, as I found out this morning, he's had on-off depression for years, and all the drama yesterday has really dragged him down! And yes, he IS sick, and I can't say I blame him, what with you being a short-minded little bitch every 5 minutes!"

Lara blankly blinks, face paling.

"I…I.." She looks so lost, but she deserves to feel bad, considering she's made Sonic feel worse.

"Whatever. Let's just go out to them. Maybe they've gone back to the Citadel already." We walk back in silence and we see the fire crew getting rid of Lara's small inferno. The doors are open. We sneak outside and we join back with Estyn and Sonic before the fire services and the police even notice. Sonic's looking a bit better, seeing as he has a bit of colour back and he's fumbling with his hands just like he did in the Resistance HQ. How many days was that ago now? I suppose the air has done him some good.

"You guys alright?" Maria asks.

"We're fine. Sonic's been a bit more perky so…yeah."

"That's good." I smile. Sonic looks at me and smiles. I can tell that this time it's genuine, which makes my internal panic, which I've had since the beginning of this mission, settle a bit.

"So? How'd it go?" He asks, obviously wanting to know the details.

"Basically, this CEO didn't own up to a hacking scandal so we put him in his place. He's been arrested."

"And…that's it?" He's seen the plate in my hand.

"Yeah, that's it." My hand then gets jerked. A red chain of sorts has wrapped itself around the Plate and it jerks out of my hand, just about pulling me to the ground. Estyn rushes over and helps me up. I've got scorching to my glove. 10 points to whoever guesses who it is.

"Oh, come on! That is cheap!" I yell to the sky as I see a familiar figure hover in the sky, surrounded by a glitchy red aura. His single eye glints with evil glee.

" **It's your own fault for letting your guard down."** It's Infinite, twisting the Plate in his black clawed hand. I curse myself. There is no way we can get it back; Infinite is too powerful to tackle. I learnt that back in the Eternal Winter Zone. **"So this is a Soul Plate…"** I can imagine him evilly smirking. **"Yes…1 down, only 299 to go…"**

"Fat luck, Infinite. We're ahead of you."

" **I am aware of that. You already have 3 Plates in comparison to my sole 1. However, I can see your team splitting apart. I saw what happened in Oceania. It was annoying when you came back together but that** _ **show!**_ **It was very amusing."**

Show…? Is he talking about Dark? I growl.

"OK…you won this round, Infinite. Very well played." I sarcastically clap. "Next time, we'll get the plate first." With a dark chuckle, he vanishes. Damn him.

"One thing though." Estyn brings up. "Where is the portal?"

We look around. Nothing.

"That's…odd. It should have spawned."

"It won't. The mission isn't over yet."

We all look at Sonic. His tone sounds like he's an expert, like he's knows exactly what is going on.

"Why? We got the plate…well…we _did_ have the plate. It should have spawned as soon as we made contact with it." Estyn explains. Sonic nods at this.

"On a usual occasion…yes, it should have. However, Aeon has added a new condition that I myself brought up."

"Like what?" Maria asks.

"'Member that doll that Ginger used?"

"The…Hell Correspondence Doll?" I remember that doll. Ginger used it to send Jet to Hell.

"Aeon told me more about it this morning. Sasaki doesn't just exist in Oceania: he's like the Zone Cops. He covers ALL dimensions. Not long after getting back from Oceania, I saw Sasaki give the doll to someone else, and then again this morning when I woke up."

"…Like visions?" Sonic nods again at my question.

"I thought I was the psychic here." I hear Estyn moan, but Sonic doesn't hear her.

"I told Aeon about this and she seemed concerned. She decided to add another condition to our mission: to stop those using the website to punish others."

"…So…did you see who was using the doll?"

"Not really, Maria. The vision was quite blurry and it wasn't very long. I didn't get chance to see all his features, but he was a black wolf of sorts with amber eyes and a Goth fashion sense. He mentioned someone called "Ayame", who I guess is the person he intends to punish."

"So we need to find this wolf guy."

"You said so yourself, Estyn. Looking for one person in this city is like finding a needle in a haystack! How are we gonna find one wolf in millions?" Lara scorns and then glares at Sonic. "You better not be lying!"

"L-Lying…?"

"Yeah, ever heard of the word!? Jeez…has your brain dropped right out of your head!?" She meets my look and stops, but she doesn't apologize.

"I'm not lying…seriously, I'm not…" He's crying now. It's me who has to do the comforting, gently hugging him until he gets a grip on himself. He suddenly tenses. His eyes are large and unseeing.

"Sonic?" I shake him but he doesn't even blink. "Hey, come on! What's wrong?" He shakes his head after a few minutes and looks at me.

"Intel Hill Street."

"Huh?"

"I saw him…that wolf guy…Intel Hill Street...I think."

"So…you just had another vision?" He shakily nods. "We need to find a map."

"One step ahead of you." I realized that Atlanta hasn't gone yet. She's still here.

"You could have just gone, you know." I sweat-drop. She shrugs.

"I know…but I need to thank you for helping me bring this case to a close."

"Hey, we're Team Universe! We always help!" Maria beams. Atlanta digs for a small machine and turns it on. A holographic map appears in front of us, detailing where we are.

"Well…Techopolis lives up to the name. Let's see…Intel Hill Street…" The map then changes as I say the street's name. We see a red arrow, our location, and a blue arrow, our destination. We see it is 2 miles away. Could be worse. "That's convenient. It's only 2 miles from here."

"That's it? That's not too far away!" Estyn bursts, now excited. Sonic also stands and grins.

"I guess we're heading that way then."

"Yeah, we are. Let's move out."

XO

"You…are…kidding…!"

Lara's outburst is dead on time. Intel Hill Street is a straight up hill at a 15 degree angle at an estimate. There is a warning for cars on a sign. I turn to Sonic.

"How far up did you see him?"

"Um…" He looks up the street, presumably for a noticeable trait. He seems to spot one. "…it was just up from that house with the sale sign." That house is around half way up.

"Alright, here we go." We start trekking up the street. It's steeper than it looks. Even I'm struggling.

"We…are never…doing any…anything…like this again…" Lara groans, heaving for breath. She looks at Sonic who has been silent for a while. "You…better be right…about this…"

"Hang on…" Sonic stops. He's looking over at the road's name, confused. "…the sign I saw had a blue border…this one is green."

"The city is in coloured sections. We're in the green sector. The blue one is on the other side of the city." I look at the map and then I type the street name in. It's wrong but there is a correction: Intel Hill Road. "…Was it street or road?"

"I didn't see the whole sign. I just presumed it was street. It was the only thing that made sense at the time."

"So…we're on the wrong road…?" Estyn asks, dreading the answer.

"It…seems like it…"

Silence. It's a genuine mistake and I can't blame Sonic entirely seeing as the vision clearly wasn't great. Lara, on the other hand, is so riled up that she decides to punch something with her powers. Unfortunately, that "something" is "someone" and that "someone" is Sonic. He goes flying, landing a few feet away on his side, rolling a few times before he skids to a stop. Estyn grabs Lara before she lands another attack.

"Let me go, Estyn! Let me kick his ass!"

She doesn't say another word as I grab her by the dreadlocks and I do a karate type throw, knocking her out.

"Shadow!"

It's Maria. She's over Sonic, checking he's alright after that attack and, judging by the alarm in her voice, something's wrong. Really wrong. I rush over with Estyn. Sonic's conscious, thank god for that, but his breathing's shallow and shaky. His hands are around his chest, clutching the tanned skin that lines his stomach and chest tight. He has burns on his stomach from where he was punched. He's badly withering, almost as if he's in agony. I touch him. A chill passes through my gloves. He's ice cold.

"It's alright, Sonic. I've got you. Where does it hurt?" He doesn't reply. He's got no strength to speak but, judging he occasionally tightens his grip on his skin…it's his upper chest, namely his heart.

No…i-it can't be…he can't be having a…!?

"Hey, you guys!" We look up. A pink and purple-haired mongoose in on a balcony. "Bring him up here! I've left the door open for you!" Usually…I wouldn't trust a stranger but now's not the time for that. I gently pick Sonic up from the tarmac and I head inside with him. I see that Estyn is carrying Lara, who is still out cold. The mongoose is at the top of some stairs, gesturing to us. We go into her bedroom but there is a medical-like room to the side, all kitted out ready. "Place him down there. I'm a trained nurse, don't worry." Nodding, I rush over to the bed and I gently lie Sonic down. He's limp now, chest barely rising and falling. The girl nods, coaxes me out of the room and shuts the door to work on him without interruption. I sit on a chair. I'm badly shaking. Lara has come around now, rubbing her head.

"…Ow…"

"You totally deserved that." Estyn scolds, hitting her dreadlock.

"…Ow!"

"Oh, sorry."

"Stupid hedgehog…totally overpowered…"

"Shadow is the Ultimate Life Form. He's meant to be overpowered." Maria boasts. I don't really listen to their conversation. I must have been frozen in place for around 10 minutes until Estyn comes over and wraps her arms around me, making me jump out of my self-imposed trance. I end up breaking down into tears.

"Hey now…he's going to be fine."

"I…I hope so…"

"What I don't get is how a heart attack can be triggered by a punch…"

"Unless it was the impact or…" Something hits me. "…this sickness he has been having…was just a warning sign…and it just happened to happen at that time…"

"I hope not. That makes us bad friends if we're so dumb that we didn't realize that."

"Talking of bad friends…" I darkly look over at Lara, who is struggling to retie one of her dreadlock ribbons. "…I told you to back off!"

"Oh and suddenly this is MY fault!?"

"YES!"

"Hmph." She ignores me and goes back to her ribbon. The door opens and the girl comes out.

"And!? Is he alright!?"

"Yeah, he should be alright now. He's still unconscious but I've given him some medication."

I sigh in relief.

"But…what caused it?" Maria asks. The girl fumbles with her lilac and pink highlighted hair and shows us a small tub.

"I found toxins in his blood that matched the low amount of toxin found in these."

"Sedatives?" I take the tub to examine it. The pills are small. "They look around mild to medium strength…"

"Yes, but taken in large amounts, they can be deadly. My guess is that he took enough to make him sick but not so many that the symptoms were immediate."

…Make him sick…?

Horror strikes me.

"…No…he wouldn't dare…" I mutter, the tub slipping from my grasp and clattering to the floor.

"Shadow? Do you know what's going on?"

"I have a pretty good guess. I've told Lara and Maria but Estyn, what you need to know is this: I learnt this morning that Sonic's had on-off depression for years now. Combined with Infinite's torture, which happened over a course of 6 months prior to meeting you guys and the illusions…all of it, as well as everything in Oceania, was starting to really grind down on his mental state. I'm guessing hearing Lara's bullying remarks…" I glare at her but she rolls her eyes. "…he just…flipped…he must have taken those pills but then decided not to go through with it…so he tried to vomit them back up…hence why he was sick."

"…But he didn't get all of them out of his system. They started poisoning him and that is why he's been feeling unwell…and it poisoned him enough that…that this happened…" Estyn fills in and I nod in confirmation. "Oh God…t-that's horrible though…6 months of torture? Now his behaviour makes a lot more sense. We shouldn't have let him come on the mission…"

"No…keeping him back would have made him feel worse. He told me that when people worry about him, it makes him feel a lot worse than he originally was. Makes him feel like a burden towards others. That's why he's been insistent on continuing on with the mission."

"Do you think he knew this was going to happen?"

"I don't think he was aware of how many he digested. In his eyes, he vomited it all back up and he was just suffering from the after effects. I think he was just as oblivious as us."

A door slams behind us. Lara's gone.

"Where has she gone now?" I snarl. Estyn sighs and goes out to find her, returning a mere 30 seconds later with no echidna in tow. "And?"

"She's outside…it looks like she's crying."

"Hang on a minute." I head down the stairs and outside. The girl has a small garden with a bench. Lara's sitting on it, still crying. She's doing something with her fire, as I can see faint smoke rising into the air. She occasionally flinches. I peer over.

…What is she…!?

She's scorching her wrist, making the flames burn away at her fur.

"What are you doing!?"

She jumps, her flames cancelling out.

"Is it any of your business?"

I look over both her wrists. Why didn't I see it before? The old burn marks? The bruises? The scars?

"…You…harm yourself?"

"Haven't the gut to do it with a knife…so I use my fire." I sit next to her and I grab her wrist, examining it. She doesn't pull away. There is no way she can hide it. The wounds are bad but they aren't bleeding much. Must hurt like hell though. I can see blisters forming on the burns. I daren't touch her more. "…If you wanna know how long I've been doing this, I've done it for ages."

"Does Estyn know?"

"It's the one secret I still keep from her. She's my best mate, but I can't tell her…I can't bring myself to tell her…" Her fists clench. "…Why are you even out here? It's clearly my fault this happened to Sonic. I hurt him so much he wanted to do himself in…guess I'm just that short-minded, huh?"

"You did go out of your way to make him miserable."

"I didn't mean it to hurt him." She says. "I like Sonic. I like him a lot. He's a cool guy deep down."

"Yeah, deep under the damage, he's the same reckless soul I've known for years."

"The only reason I did it was because I'm like that too. I hurt a lot. I often feel depressed and rejected. All that culminated to me making him feel that way too so I only felt better about myself."

"So…you did it to make yourself feel better. But what about him? Unlike you, he lets it all go to his head."

"I know…and I'm sorry." I scoff. "No, really, I mean it."

"If you mean it, you have to apologize to him when he wakes up, alright? Oh, and I would tell Estyn about this. She's your best friend after all. She'll want to help you too."

"When you're right, you're right." We both stand and we go back upstairs. The girl is setting up some blow up beds. I suppose the times are different as I only now notice it's getting dark. I see Lara talking to Estyn and she shows her the burns on her wrists. Estyn cups her mouth and hugs her best friend.

"Are you all alright with sleeping here tonight?"

"Uh…yeah, it's fine. That reminds me…you haven't told us your name."

"Oh! You're right! Oh, where are my manners. My name is Ayame."

Ayame…?

The wolf Sonic saw in that vision…he mentioned an Ayame…

"You wouldn't happen to have any friends who are Goth and are a male wolf, do you?" She stops and thinks.

"Oh! You must mean Deus!"

"Deus…?" Lara asks, almost scoffing at the name.

"He's my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend…? Then…why would he want to…?"

"Want to…what?" We all exchange glances.

"Have you ever heard of Hell Correspondence?" Estyn asks. Ayame nods.

"Yes, I have." She pulls her top aside and we see a black branded mark on her chest. "I know because I've done it before."

"So…if you send someone to Hell, you get marked?"

"Yes, because there is a price for using Sasaki's power. If you send someone to Hell…you have to go to Hell yourself when you die."

"…Y-You…have to g-go to Hell too!?" Estyn exclaims. "Then…t-that means that Ginger…"

"…Will go to Hell when the time comes…" I sadly finish.

"I had no choice. I send my ex-boyfriend Edd to Hell 2 years ago after he started heavily abusing me…I did it instantly upon receiving it. I don't care about going to Hell. Why do you bring it up?"

"It's only possible but Deus also has a Sasaki doll…to send you to Hell."

"T-To…send me…to Hell? Why!? What have I done!?"

"I don't know! Sonic saw it, not me. Sasaki's somehow relaying visions to him despite Estyn being the psychic in the group."

"So you know of my existence."

The new voice makes me jump and I turn around. It's a hedgehog, looking remarkably similar to Sonic. He has the same face and is around the same age but he has large and lifeless red eyes as well as wearing a Japanese styled male school uniform. I glare at him.

"And just who are you?"

"…Sasaki?" Ayame asks. She gets a nod. So this is Sasaki… "Is it true…? You gave a doll to Deus because he wants to send me to Hell!?" She gets a nod.

"Yes. His hatred meant I accepted his request." His voice is toneless and monotone, as well as emotionless. It's like all emotion has been sucked out of him, evident also by his unchanging facial expressions. It's actually quite creepy.

"Why!? You helped me! Why are you turning against me?"

"I didn't help you. You came to me for help and I provided it. I have done that to many Mobians. I cannot save you."

"Why do you send people to Hell anyway!?" I demand.

"…Because it is my job."

"The Master has to ferry damned souls to Hell." It's that echidna again. Another figure appears: a tall female cat dressed in a kimono.

"I think it's best if you leave punishing sinned souls to us." She mocks.

"To hell with that! No-one deserves to go to Hell! What is Ayame's crime!?" Before I get an answer, all three disappear. "Damn it!"

"Well…you've met the Jigoku Quadro." I think Jigoku means Hell.

"There was only three of them…"

"Sasaki usually has three attendants: Ren, Tsubaki and Ishimoto. I'm guessing the doll Deus has is Ishimoto's doll. They turn INTO the dolls, you see. I had Tsubaki's doll, which is red. Ren's is blue and Ishimoto's is black. All three have the scarlet thread."

More Japanese…

We hear groaning from the medical room. Ayame goes in first and comes out a few minutes later, smiling.

"Looks like he's waking up. You guys can come in if you want. Just be gentle with him. He's still a bit fragile and ill." I silently nod and I peek into the room. Ayame's done a good job. Sonic's relatively alright. He has bandages around the burns and an IV in his arm, but he's luckily OK. His eyes are only a little bit open but they open fully when he sees me. Ayame probably won't want me sitting on the bed so I sit on a small seat next to it.

"Hey." I gently greet, fussing his ear. He grins, giggling. "How're you feeling?"

He thinks for a minute. "…Alright." He tries sitting up and eventually manages it, wincing a bit from the effort. I sadly smile.

"I was scared, you know…I-I'm glad you're OK." He looks at me in confusion before pulling a fake grin. I hear someone clearing their throat behind me. Lara. She looks extremely nervous.

"May I…?"

"No, go ahead."

"…I need to apologize to you Sonic."

"Eh? What for?"

He doesn't remember…? Lara blinks but sighs.

"For being a right asshole to you and for me punching you like that. I didn't know what happened to you all those months ago and I'm the reason you're like this now…I'm really sorry…"

"Lara…you don't need to apologize, y'know." Sonic smiles, taking Lara aback.

"Be honest though: you totally hate me."

"No, I don't." He insists. "I'm not really the type to hold grudges. Shadz on the other hand…"

"Hey!"

"What? It's true." I can tell he's being playful. I mockingly roll my eyes and I strum my finger against his nose.

"You little devil."

"So…you forgive me?" Lara tries to confirm and, after getting a nod, she smiles and wanders over, gently embracing Sonic. "I'll tell you something. You're quite cool…for a guy, I mean."

"You're not a fan of boys, are ya?"

"…Uh…hehe…not really…"

"Oh, so that's why you hate my guts." I mock, earning in Lara's face turning red with anger embarrassment.

"Shadow!"

This amuses Sonic as he starts laughing. It's nice seeing him so happy. I start laughing along and eventually Lara weakly joins in. Sonic then suddenly stops, harshly wincing in pain. I gently shush him.

"Shush now…" I coo, kissing him on the cheek. Lara doesn't react so I'm guessing she's moved off from her homophobic views.

"I-It hurts…"

"I know. I will for a while." He then stares at me, somewhat shocked at something, almost like he's now realized something that's scaring him.

"…How much do ya know?!"

Is he referring to him taking those sedatives? I bite my lip, choosing my words carefully.

"…I know bits and pieces…I want to know your side of the story. All I have is a theory."

"…" Sonic says nothing, visibly scared.

"It's alright. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. If you want to leave it as things are, that's fine but I want to help you fight this."

"Same here. This is all my fault anyway so…"

"No, it wasn't Lara." He looks at her. "…It was mine."

"Now that's a bit of a stretch." I assure. "Of course it wasn't your fault. If it was, tell me why."

"…Alright…you wanna know?" I nod. "Well…after what Lara said…I went to go mop myself up seeing as I was in a right state. I was rummaging around for a flannel and I found some tubs instead. I was curious, so I looked at the labels with one being some mild type of sleeping pills. I don't really know why I did it…it was almost like…something switched on in my brain."

"And that switch made you feel like you wanted to end it all…"

"…I suppose that's true. So I did. The moment I realized what I was doing however…I tried throwing them back up. Not the nicest feeling in the world but I felt better. Slightly dizzy but I put that down to a side effect of the vomiting…I thought I got rid of everything. Obviously not because I got all that chest pain outside…what actually happened?"

"Well…Ayame put it down to a mild heart attack but she's not really sure." As soon as I say "heart attack", it sets him off into a traumatized frenzy. Eventually, Ayame hears the commotion and sedates him. The screams cease and he falls limp.

"There we go. He'll be more comfortable now. He'll wake up in a short time."

"Good…in his condition, panic isn't going to help."

"No, it won't."

"Um…Ayame!?" I hear Maria's voice. We go into the bedroom and someone is standing in the doorway, bright but misted eyes glaring hard at Ayame. It's him. Deus.

"D-Deus…? What are you doing here? You should have called." Ayame scorns, but she then sees the doll in Deus's hand. "…Why do you have that…?"

"…Why, you ask?" He snarls. "…Because you're going to Hell where you belong, you bitch!"

"What has she done!?" I yell. "In case you're not aware, my friend is being treated by Ayame. She's a caring and kind person. I don't see any reason to have a grudge against her."

"Oh, and suddenly you're a peacemaker, stripes? You certainly look like either a murderer or a hacker, what with your tone and colour scheme."

"Are you seriously asking for a fight?!"

"Is that a challenge?"

"No, I'm just asking!"

"Enough!" Ayame shouts, fists clenched. "I want to know what I've done."

"You know what you've done. I know you're sleeping with other men."

"Oh no…you haven't been taking the meds have you?"

"Meds…?" I ask, slightly alarmed at this.

"Deus suffers from paranoia and hallucinations and is usually on medication to calm this. He's also addicted to drugs. When he's on the medication, he's soft and cuddly but when he's not…or when he's high, he does stupid and reckless things like this! I know how tempting it is to use Sasaki's power. I've done it myself." She shows the black brand.

"…When did you send a person to Hell?"

"Years ago. It was actually my abusive ex-boyfriend Edd. I did it without really thinking and now I'm reminding of where I'll end up after I die: to Hell. Do you really know that reminder for the rest of your days?"

"…I don't care. As soon as I send you to Hell…I'll be forever satisfied."

"Well, you'll regret it because I have NOT been sleeping with other men. Check my phone, social media, emails…anything you want! Even my secret diary if you want! I am not a cheater!"

"Now, give me that!" Estyn lunges at Deus, trying to snatch the doll from his grasp. His grip is hard and they start wrestling over it. Eventually, Deus visibly snaps and grabs the ribbon's end.

"Don't!"

Too late. He pulls and the thread becomes untied. An invisible shockwave hits Estyn back as the doll flies up into the air.

 **Your grievance will be avenged.**

Thunder crackles in the sky as Ayame disappears. Deus grins and takes his leave, ribbon still in hand. It begins to rain and it's quite dark now.

"We'll go back to the Citadel once Sonic's a bit more stable, alright? It's not safe to move him yet."

"Shadow's right. Safety comes first." Maria agrees. Lara and Estyn take Ayame's bed while me and Maria take the blow-ups.

XO

 _I'm faced with a dark sky. It's a dark purple with white clouds and four light pink lights in a square like pattern. I sit up. A boat?_

 _Ferrying the boat is Sasaki._

" _Sasaki…" I mumble, unsure on what to say. So…Deus really just sent me to Hell…_

 _I see Tsubaki, Ishimoto and Ren on a bank and I can overhear their conversation._

" _I don't like this…this isn't right. She's done nothing wrong." Tsubaki says. Ren shrugs._

" _We've seen this millions of times over the centuries. Everyone has a different reason for contacting the Master, even if they are really innocent. It's the hatred in their heart that counts."_

" _Quiet, all of you." Ishimoto snaps but then his voice soothes. "When you're centuries old, you can hear it."_

" _Hear what?" Tsubaki asks, lowering her Japanese umbrella._

" _The Master's heart. It's cracking…cracking under the strain…"_

" _What I don't get is how that other blue hedgehog is getting those visions…" Ren moans._

" _I guess we may never know…"_

" _I know…but I mustn't say." Both males look at Tsubaki, who solemnly hangs her head. "I can't tell…I made a promise to him. To Fujioka."_

" _Fujioka…?"_

" _It's nothing, boys. Don't listen to my babblings."_

 _I turn back to Sasaki._

" _Please, Sasaki. Send me back. I haven't done anything! Please!" I keep begging but he ignores my pleas that get more and more desperate._

"… _This is vengeance…" I can hear the sorrow in his usual monotone voice. "…so I am to ferry you to Hell…"_

XO

"SHADOW! WAKE UP, NOW!"

Lara's screams jolts me awake. She's panicked. Really panicked.

"W-What!? What is it!?" She pulls me up and into the infirmary. I then realize why everyone is on edge.

Sonic's gone. The bed's empty.

"W-Where is he?"

"We don't know and it's still thundering and raining out there! Not to mention it's quite cold." I grit my teeth and my fists clench. My mind is going through everything that has happened, trying to come up with reasons why Sonic would resort to running away in his fragile condition.

There is one.

What if he still felt at fault, so much so that he felt it was better if he just…disappeared…? This whole sedative deal has just spiralled out of control.

"It's like Estyn said though. Finding Sonic will be like finding a needle in a haystack!"

"I think I've solved that problem." Estyn corrects. She clicks a button on her teleporter and a huge holographic map shows up. Four coloured dots (black, aqua, pink and red) are where we are while another one, a navy, is further in the city. It's a tracker!

"Estyn, you are a genius!"

"U-Um…it was nothing…"

"So…where is that?" Maria asks, flinching when lightning strikes outside.

"Hang on…" The map zooms in on the navy dot. It's a park of sorts, labelled City Green. Must be a huge city park. "…here."

"Makes sense. It's green and rural…that's the type of environment that would put Sonic at ease."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go already!"

XO

The rain is really coming down now. It's also freezing. We've arrived at the City Green. Estyn checks the tracker. It's in real detail. The dot's coming from one of the trees not that fair in. Sure enough, as we enter, Maria starts running.

"Over here!" I see a huddled figure under the tree, having wrapped himself in a ball to keep himself warm. He's shivering and cold when I reach to touch him, but he's not soaking wet because he's dried over time and the tree's leaves and branches have kept the majority of the rain off him. I shush him and he weakly huddles up to me, now in tears. We all tap our teleporters and we find outside in the Universe Altar. Aeon and Aethon see us and they rush to help. Aethon creates a blanket and wraps it around Sonic's arms.

"Where's the warmest room in the Citadel?" I ask Aeon, who starts thinking.

"Each bedroom has a fireplace if that would work."

"Perfect." I carry Sonic straight over there, bursting his bedroom door open and I gently place him in the bed, tucking him up so he's nice and warm. I then turn the fireplace on full blast. It's boiling for me but it'll be nice for Sonic. He's wiggling and weakly moaning. "You're safe now, Sonikku."

I pause. What did I just say? Did I seriously just use Amy's pet name for him? I mean, sure, Sonikku is a cute pet name but it's Amy's unique nickname, not mine. Yet…why can't I use it?

I see a sneaky smile cross his muzzle when I say it though. I guess he likes it when I say it. Amy only uses it when she's attempting to get Sonic on a date, which usually ends in tears. He tries opening his eyes but it fails the first time, though the second time he manages it, though it's clear he's struggling to focus on me. I start stroking his head, relishing in the softness of his fur. He then drifts off, smile frozen on his face. I lean down and I kiss him on the lips. It's a quick one but his smile grows. I decide to let him sleep a bit and I head back to the Altar.

"Is he alright?" Volt's now with us and I'm guessing Estyn, Maria and/or Lara has told him what's happened. I nod.

"He's asleep. I think he'll be alright."

"Good."

"Did you collect the Soul Plate?" Aeon asks. We all exchange nervous looks.

"…Um…funny story…we did have it but Infinite stole it when we had our guard down."

"And…stopping the Hell Link Accessor?"

"No luck…he pulled the string."

"That was my fault. I tried to grab the doll and he pulled it out of sheer panic."

"…I see…"

"Sister, maybe we are expecting too much from them." Aethon ponders. "If Infinite is also after the plates, there will be times where he will beat them. He is a demi-God after all. You know about _him,_ don't you?"

"Him…? Oh…you mean the Corrupted God."

"Corrupted God?"

"We have ties with another pocket dimension such as this one, called Paradise." Aethon explains. "They have a God problem of their own: a Corrupted God by the name of Zielo. It might be that Zielo and Infinite have joined forces…and that is why they have had many knockbacks as of late…"

"Brother, it may be time. Go get the devices."

"Oh! Right!" Aethon rushes off and grabs six amulets. Each one has a small gem encased in a glass casing. "These are the ultimate weapon against Infinite: Soul Armour."

"Soul Armour?" Estyn asks as she gets her pendant.

"When active, they boost physical and elemental elements and the strength of them increase with each Soul Plate recovered. When we have all 300…Infinite's Phantom Ruby will not be able to defeat you."

"So, we basically getting extra firepower."

"Correct, Shadow. On your next mission, I highly recommend for Volt and Sonic to remain here." Aeon directs. "I shall leave Sonic's amulet in his room and I shall explain it to him upon his awakening." She activates her Altar as we hang the amulets around our necks. Mine shines a great emerald. "Now, are you ready for the next mission?" We nod.

The world is extremely large, evident by a map. It seems like a game of sorts, seeing as people have health bars and larger than life weapons. I see someone at a computer wearing a black version of a lab coat, a sinister smile on his face as he locks down the game. One person loses their full HP and disappears, screaming. One warrior, who is actually another version of Sonic, is wielding a black and purple club on sorts and looks determined, staring at a very tall tower with at least 100 floors.

"This world is actually a popular VR game called Blade Wars X. It is an online fighting simulator. However, due to lockdown, the only way out is to clear the game as losing all your health results in death in the real world. I want you to use your new armour to help a small group of survivors to clear the final dungeon. Is that suitable for you?"

We all exchange looks and I flash a determined grin.

"Bring it."

 **Plates Collected: 3/300**

 **Plates Lost: 1**

 **ED: Break a spell by Mami Kawada (Tokyo Ravens)**


	6. Mission 5: Blade Wars X

**OP: Ignite by Eir Aoi (Sword Art Online II)**

… **A fanfiction of a game set in a game? Wow, ironic, huh?**

 **Up to 5 reviews! YES! [Insert party noises here]**

 **OK, OK, I'll stop. Please enjoy this next please and PLEASE review!**

 **Zielo belongs to Gigi-D.**

 **XO**

Aeon nods at my comment, opens the portal and we all jump inside, landing in a field full of sheep. Yeah, Mobini Sheep. Talk about weird. The grass is soft and luscious, with a full blue sky above us with a beaming sun. Feels like summer. It's a nice change. Everywhere is very rural with very few trees but many hills, valleys and mountains.

"Alright, where exactly are we going?"

Before anyone can respond to Estyn's question, Maria forces us down when a blast of fire darts towards us, barely missing us. It strikes the fence panel, destroying it instantly. The sheep bleat in alarm and they run off, leaving us in their dust. I look in the direction the blast came from. I see a stony-faced black echidna female, staff in hand.

"Darn…"

"Why are you aiming at us!?" Lara asks, making flames burn on her hands. The girl spits, glaring at us with hatred.

"Well, it's a survival game, ya get it?" She's speaking with a strong Southern accent. She launches herself at us, staff in hand and fires more blasts of magic at us. We easily dodge and Maria shoots blasts of water at her, immediately scalding her. Must be boiling. She gets ignored and stops, using heat from her staff to dry herself off. She also wrings water from her dreadlocks. "Ya meant to defeat the other players, not run from them! Name yaselves!"

"NOIR!?"

"Uh-oh…" Noir backs off when another figure comes into view. It's that alternate Sonic we saw in the vision. The real only differences is that this guy is taller and older than Sonic plus his voice is slightly deeper. He is wearing a black uniform and has that black and purple club hanging on his back. He darkly growls and literally slaps her, making all of us cringe.

"Haven't I told you NOT to run off?"

"W-Well…yeah, but…" She rubs her cheek, which is red. The hedgehog growls again and points to a golden broach on his chest that shines in the sun.

"No buts! I'm the guild captain so you abide by MY rules. Get it?"

"Yea'…ah get it…" He backs down, inching away from him. He then notices us and confusion enters his eyes.

"Oh? And who are these? They are players or NPCs?"

"Not sure. Ah think they're players."

"Well, you're half-right. We're here from another universe and we're not technically playing this VR game with a VR headset." Lara explains. Noir and the hedgehog exchange confused glances.

"Noir, is that even possible?" He whispers with her shrugging.

"Um…maybe…"

"Whatever. Listen up your four. Seeing as Noir found you, you're all part of MY guild. What are your usernames?"

Usernames…? We don't have them, you nutter! I don't say this aloud though. I'd rather keep my head.

"…We can tell you our real names but we don't have usernames." I remark but I see he hasn't paid attention. He's brought up some holographic menu but it's blank.

"Hmm…strange. You don't have health bars nor an inventory…" He muses but snaps back to the conversation. "Alright, fine. Real names it is. You can call me Striker. My username is PhantomStriker3."

"I'm Shadow and these are my friends Lara, Estyn and Maria."

"All girlfriends?" Striker smugly asks and nudges me, earning in me turning red. This guy is so like Sonic it just isn't funny.

"Heck no! I'm already taken!" I shout, with him laughing in a humoured way.

"Hah, I'm just messing with ya, matey Jim. Oh, this is MidnightNoir, but everyone calls her Noir. She may seem a bit snippy but she's got a heart of gold." Striker pats her on the head.

"Oi. Hands off." Noir snarls, swatting his hand away. Striker huffs, eyebrow raised.

"Sheesh, someone deffo woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. You four, follow and DON'T trail behind." He starts walking off and we run to catch him up.

"I admire your sword, Striker." Lara smirks, clearly impressed. Striker takes a moment to reply, checking to see if Lara was being sarcastic. He eventually smirks at the compliment.

"Oh, thanks. I got it when I reached Level 45. That was a while ago, since I'm Level 54 right now." Striker explains, a bit more laid-back now. "It's called the Malevolence Club. Luckily for me, it's the most powerful Defense Club. Weapons have two stats: Attack and Defense. While this is high in attack, it also has a hidden ability where the club creates a barrier that renders me invulnerable to attacks when I reach a combo. It's highly sought after."

"None of that made any sense." I mumble. I see Striker's eyes look at me but he says nothing. Either he heard what I said and is going to kick my butt later or he heard me mumbling but not at what I actually said. I really hope it's the latter. I notice Noir doesn't have an actual weapon. "Hey…Noir? Don't you have a sword or do you just use the staff?"

"Just the staff. Ah'm a wizard-type user. Ah mainly use magic and spells. Ah don't need any blades." She smugly replies.

"So…what brings you four to the game if you aren't players?" Striker asks, stopping in his tracks.

"It's a long and complicated story but we're basically going from dimension to dimension looking for Soul Plates, which look like regular items. Unfortunately, this jackal psycho called Infinite is trying to beat us to the punch. Consider him like a final boss who is invulnerable all the time." Maria explains before I get the chance. Both Noir and Striker exchange fearful looks.

"Yeowch." Noir shudders. "Ah wouldn't wanna face him."

"I second that." Striker agrees. "So…what does this Infinite guy get outta this?"

"He basically wants control over the multiverse." Estyn explains. I see Striker suddenly go red in the face. Something tells me he thinks Estyn is…ahem…"hot" as they say.

"O-Oh…" He stutters, not flustered. "I s-see…anyway, come on. The others will be wondering where we got to." Others…? I guess he means the others in his guild. I feel someone tap my shoulder. Estyn, looking nervous.

"Um, is it me or does he like me in that way?" She murmurs to me. I just shrug.

"Who knows?" I then stop, noticing something. It's impossible, but I'm seeing it. A white "98" is hovering in the sky. Why is there a number in the sky? Is it some strange cloud formation? No…the sky's clear. It's not clouds. "Hey…Striker? What's with the ominous number?" Striker looks up at the sky and smiles.

"Heh, you noticed. It may look and feel like we're outside, but this is actually a floor in the Final Dungeon."

"…Dungeon?" We all ask at once, exchanging glances.

"Yup. Get to the 101st floor, defeat the final boss on that floor, whoever that is, and you can finally get out of this game."

"Can't you all just log out? I mean, it's a game, right? You can leave whenever you want to" Maria asks. Striker shakes his head sadly and pulls up a menu. There's a list of options but there is a gap three bars down, like an option has been removed. The "Log Out" button, as it were.

"No, we can't. One of Blade Wars X's developers, Yoshiaki Tokawa, locked the game up and goes around killing players under the codename BlackBlank. Many called him Rellik for short."

"Rellik?" And more Japanese. What is it with this adventure and Japanese!? Is that going to be a trend? I damn well hope not.

"Backwards for "killer"." He explains, somewhat peeved that we don't get it. As we come to a hill, we see smoke coming from the other side and, upon getting over it with aching legs, we see three more Mobians sitting around a small campfire. The first is a female light pink penguin with blue eyes. She has a glowing bow and arrow and the arrow tips sparkle with electricity. The second is a gruff dark blue gorilla with dual cutlasses in his belt. The final is a light blue female porcupine with black eyes and has a jade-hilted blade. "Hey, you guys. We're back."

"I see you found Noir. She's always running off!" The gorilla moans, throwing a spare log onto the fire. Noir cracks her knuckles and goes to punch him but Striker holds her back easily with one hand. The gorilla then does a double-take when he finally notices us behind Striker and Noir "Oh? New members?"

"Not exactly. They're…kind of not in the game."

"NPCs then?" The penguin questions, munching on some meat of some kind.

"No, perfectly real but they are not "logged in" and don't have health bars. This is Shadow, Estyn, Lara and Maria." Everyone, excluding me, waves. "These are my team-mates. The penguin is Candy, the gorilla is Branch and the porcupine is Pacific."

"Hiya!" Candy greets, jumping up to shake us all by the hand. Branch only snorts while Pacific friendlily nods a hello but stays sitting.

"So…how does this game actually work?" Lara questions. Branch gives her a death-stare.

"You don't know!? Man, you are all so dumb!"

"Branch…" Striker pulls out his club and points it dead at Branch's face, making him sweat. "…you were saying…? What have I told you about your fucking attitude!?"

…God, he even swears? I take it back. He's miles different to Sonic. Branch gulps and swats the edge of the blade away with his hand.

"U-Uh…nothing…I said nothing at all." Striker nods at this and backs off. Branch is wiping his face, breathing a few sighs of relief. He then returns at looking at Lara. "You defeat monsters and enemies and you level up. Get to the final floor, beat the crap outta the boss and boom! Sweet freedom, baby."

"I can't wait to get out of this mess myself." Striker muses, sitting. "Cass must be worried out of her mind…"

"Cass…?" I ask. He nods, sadly smiling.

"My little sister. Only 12. Luckily, she got out of the game before it locked up and I told her to not remove my headset."

"Why not? That should pull you out. And one other thing, shouldn't there be other players?" Lara muses, looking around. She's right. I expected this place to be heavily populated but it seems we're the only ones here. Slightly creepy.

"Well, there are others." Candy mutters. "The game has gotten so hostile that players will gladly kill each other, knowing that we would die in real life. Blade Wars X started out as a high-budget VR online simulator where you can talk and fight with friends. When the game got locked down and Rellik trapped us here, getting defeated or getting logged off from someone in the real world causes electrical current to shut off our brains, leaving us brain dead in the real world. It was a feature he incorporated with the demo headsets. 1000 players were randomly chosen to take part in the launch day demo, but now this happens. There's barely anyone left now. Anyone who does find us will want a fight. In this game, it's kill or be killed…as much as we don't want to kill anyone, we've had too…in self-defence."

"Candy's right. We've never wanted to hurt anyone nor end their lives, but with the circumstances being what they are, we've gone from goofy NEETs to malicious serial killers." Pacific sadly continues and then she shudders. "…I really want to get out of here because I have a sick little sister, India, to look after…she needs me."

I know how Pacific is feeling. I'd want to do the same thing with Sonic if I was in her position. I hope he's doing alright.

"…I know how you feel, Pacific."

"Eh?" She looks at me. "In what way?"

"I have a friend called Sonic. Me and him…well…we're kind of a thing." I wait for the fake-vomiting, the glares…they don't come. All five members of Striker's guild continue to look at me in longing for more information. I then continue. "…He's been through literal Hell and back, so he also needs me to look after him. That's why…I'm going to ask this: how about we help you guys get out of this game? I have a feeling that is our mission anyway, to give you guys a hand."

"…Extra fighters would work…especially against the final boss…" Striker thinks and eventually grins, leaping to his feet. "Alright, it's settled." We shake hands and then he friendlily pats me on the shoulder. "Welcome to the group, you lot." He then looks at us in thought, stroking his chin with his thumb and finger. "You sure you'll be able to handle yourselves? You're unarmed." Lara strikes up her fire, Maria forms water blades, I form dual Chaos guns and Estyn begins charging her psychic power.

"Unarmed? We're never unarmed." Lara smirks. Striker looks a bit taken aback but grins.

"I think we've got competition, you guys." Everyone laughs. Just as we put the fire out and wait for the group to organise themselves, we hear a fizzing sound. Out of nowhere, an icy blast almost hits us, though we dodge just in time. The blast hits the ground and it becomes cyan, blades now ice picks. We look up. A trio of players are on a hill, all smirking. There's a female zebra, a male arctic wolf and a male bat.

"Lookie, lookie, you two." The wolf snarls, obviously the leader of the trio who looks down at us with disgust in his cyan eyes. "If it isn't Striker and his merry band of fools." Striker's face is classic: a mixture of shock, panic and confusion.

"Gunther? Savannah? Occult? What are you three doing here? I thought you guys got melted back on Floor 75?"

"Hah, when you left us for dead in that volcano? You're lucky that Occult here knows a spell known as Paradox Lock. It freezes time for 20 seconds. Allowed him to fly me and Savannah out of that fiery hellhole." He nods at the bat, who I guess is Occult, as he shrugs bashfully and silently laughs to himself. Either that or I can't hear him.

"Who are these jokers?" I snarl, my guns slowly charging. Striker snarls too and prepares his Malevolence Club.

"I like to dub them the Tricky Trio, though they're known as the Tricky Turtles. The leader is Gunther, a mage-type player (like Noir) specializing in ice moves. Second in command is Savannah, who wields a high-ranking scythe called the Black Axe. Lastly, you have Occult who is also a mage and can manipulate time. He also has a blade called Clockwork." He explains. I guess we have a fight on our hands but, surprisingly, Gunther stays put.

"Nah, I ain't fighting when it's a lost battle. There's no point in that."

"Besides, we're the ones who will get out of here first. You know only one guild will win." Savannah evilly brags, twirling her axe in her hands like a bio-staff. Occult nods at this but stays silent.

"He's not much of a talker, is he?" I joke. Striker grits his teeth, eying me with some discontempt.

"He's mute."

"Oh." I back off, feeling remorse for poking fun at Occult. Gunther smiles then, showing his razor sharp fangs. I can see he's holding a rope. How did I miss that?

"Besides, if we did fight, you would protect this little one?" He reveals a young girl wrapped in the rope tight. Horror strikes Striker's eyes. This guy reminds me so much of that Knight Jet bastard from Oceania.

"…Cass…!?"

"Oh, come on? You know she likes being called VioletLily238." Gunther grins. Striker's eyes are green slits, every muscle tense.

"You let my little sister go. Now."

"That's your sister?" Estyn asks in alarm. Striker nodded.

"Yeah…it's like I told ya. She was also one of the VR demo players but…I thought she left the game before the lockdown due to her getting bored...or because I told her too after realizing the game was getting locked down. She must have come back on to get me out." His tone is both low with sadness but also with uncontrollable rage. Gunther pulls Cass closer to him, examining her up and down. She's around 12 years of age and she has a similar fur colour to Striker, though her eyes are purple in contrast to his emerald. I have an idea. I tap Striker's shoulder and I whisper the following words:

"I'll teleport there, make him let the end of the rope go and I'll bring her back down here. Deal?"

Striker thinks, assessing the situation and whispers back, trying to make it seem he isn't talking.

"Go for it." Nodding, I teleport so I'm metres behind them. They're confused. I teleport again, bang in Gunther, grab Cass after my small attack makes Gunther's grip on the rope loosen and teleport back down to the others. Striker cuts the rope off with his club's edge and embraces his sister, struggling not to cry. He has her by the shoulders, looking her up and down in case she's injured. "A-Are you hurt, sis?"

"No, I'm alright."

"Good. Now, RUN!" We start running as the three realized the events that have just unfolded and they charge after us, angered. I start shooting at them but it seemingly does no damage, despite them recoiling from the attacks.

"That's it! Chip at their health!" Candy instructs, firing two electrical arrows at Savannah, but she chops them in half with her scythe.

"Nice try, Candyfloss." She mocks, knocking Candy away with a giant swing of her arm. She lands over the edge of a hill so I can't see if she's alright. Branch also sees this, angrily growls and does a high-charged attack on the zebra and she flashes red. With one more attack, she screams and her avatar disappears.

"W-What happened to her?" I ask in alarm, looking around. Striker sighs.

"Branch defeated her. She's been erased from the game."

"E-Erased?"

"If you get erased from the game, you die in real life. It's kill or be killed, remember?" Before I can shout at this philosophy, he ends up toe to toe with Gunther and they get into a combo as Gunther has a club made from ice. Both are easily matched so they must be around the same level. Occult is staying out of the fight by flying and decides enough is enough, flying off into a speckled dot in the sky. Gunther notices this and gets distracted, jaw on the ground in horror.

"That trai…!" He doesn't get to finish the sentence as Striker's club goes straight through his heart, making it an instant KO. His avatar wavers and disappears in a similar manner to Savannah.

"That was for hurting my sister, you bastard." He snarls, though I doubt Gunther can still hear him. Occult's done by this point. I don't really care about him. Striker sighs as he brings up a small green bar in front of him. Part of it has been drained.

"Ugh…that's 15 HP gone." He groans. "Candy, Branch, Pacific! Status!" He shouts into a mic.

"Lost around 6 HP there." Branch says, looking at his own bar. He's near us so I can see what he is doing. "Nothing to it though."

"Lost only 3 HP. I stayed out of it." Pacific brags over the mic. I finally go to check on that penguin girl. Candy, was it? As I peek over the side of the hill, I see Candy lying on the grass, badly bruised. She's in bad shape and is frantically flashing scarlet, whimpers flying into the sky. Pacific also sees as she sees me peering. She thunders down the hill, almost slipping at the bottom. "Striker! Candy's really low on HP!"

"What is she on?" Striker runs towards them, skidding down rather than running. Show off, though his face is one of classic worry and concern.

"U-Uh…around 15 HP left out of her 125." Pacific reports, looking at Candy's stats from some holographic menu. She's kneeling by her side, shushing her, as Candy's really panicking about her situation.

"She took that much damage from one attack? That girl was overpowered." Maria whimpers, approaching us with everyone else. That Savannah must have been at a really high level.

"She WAS level 56. Candy's only level 34." Striker explains. That does explain a whole lot. "I got the perfect thing. It's a good thing I stocked up on healing items." Striker then accesses another menu, probably an inventory of sorts and brings out a glass full of sparkling blue liquid. He opens it and helps Candy drink it. Her avatar sparkles and Striker once again sees her stats. "That's better. That's helped her recover by 100 HP."

"Ow…thanks, you guys…she really got me there." Candy thanks. Pacific and Cass help her stand. We then see a metallic door on one hill top, the slot in the middle shining cyan. We wander over to it and the doors open. It's pretty spacious.

"FLOOR CLEARED." A robotic female voice says. We all go inside and it travels up. A minute passes and the lift clunks as it slows, eventually shaking. The doors slowly open. "FLOOR 99. GOOD LUCK."

We're in some sort of cave environment. Scuttling around are weird beasts with small green bars on her heads. Health bars? It's dank and dark, not to mention cold. Luminous gems line from rocks and stalagmites and stalagmites line the ceiling and floor. It's a big change in environment. Striker sighs at the sight of the beasts.

"Great, enemies."

"Looks like Cave Crawlers." Candy reports. "HP is 30 and Defense is 6. According to the map, the objective on this floor is a simple monster warrant. Defeat all enemies on the floor."

"Alright. Split up, though Cass, you're with me. Keep coms on. You four, you might want these." He hands us communicators that we fit on our ears. The mic comes down across our faces, similarly to office workers. Ridiculous. "Meet back here when all the monsters are gone, OK? You'll know when they've gone because the cave will light up." The six of them split up.

"Stick together or split up?" Maria asks. Everyone's indifferent. We follow Striker's team's example and go our separate ways. These "Cave Crawlers" are really flimsy, especially for supposedly strong enemies. We're two floors from the top here. Surely they should be more of a challenge?

I hear a roar behind me. It's massive, like a lion.

I was right. It is a rock lion, red eyes looking at me hungrily. It's massive, at least 4 times my size and it'll probably have enough power to kill me in one swipe. I tap the com with shaking hands and I get through to Candy, who seems to know enemy stats off by heart.

"U-Uh…Candy?" I stutter, trying not to make any sudden moves.

"Yeah, what?"

"Tell me a bit on rock lions."

"The Stone Wildcat!? That's a mini-boss! HP 330 and Defense 20! Get away from it now! I've got you on radar! We're on our way!"

I try and activate my Soul Armour but the Wildcat swipes its paw at me, causing the amulet's chain to sever and land several metres away. I try and reach it but the Wildcat cuts me off, making me back into a dead end. It's big but fast. Oh god…this isn't good. Where are they!? I try my Chaos Guns but the shots just bounce off. I try a Spin Dash. I bounce off. I try teleporting but, for some reason, it doesn't work.

…Shit.

The Wildcat roars again and raises it paw. Scared, I force my eyes shut, ready for the attack.

"OH NO, YOU DON'T!"

A screamed voice hits my ears. Instead of the lion attacking, I hear its pained roars as I hear the sound of rocks falling. I look. Cyan blasts are hitting it, whittling its health. A massive tornado hits it next, destroying it instantly and transforming it into rockdust. Bags of gold forms where it was.

What…just happened? I look up. A figure is looking at me, green eyes shining. I squint as he jumps down and throws my amulet back to me, which I catch one-handed. With my left (I'm right-handed), may I add. Is it Striker? It sounds and looks like him. As the smoke clears, the figure becomes clearer.

Saying I'm shocked is an understatement. It's not Striker.

"… _Sonic!?_ " I stutter, looking him up and down. He's got his Soul Armour on, that's why I didn't realize sooner. He has blue armour decorated his chest, head, hands and legs. He now has armoured boots on and his amulet is shining blue. I realize his element is aerokinesis. Cool.

"You alright, Shadz?" He asks, powering down and returning to normal. I'm lost for words before getting a grip on myself. I attach the amulet back around my neck and the green gem shines. I look at Sonic and I chuckle.

"T-That was pretty awesome."

"Heh, was it now?" He sounds unconvinced but looks at the Wildcat's remains. "Stupid stone cat…posed a bit of a challenge but that was easy prey…" He chuckles at the joke. I can't help but smile either.

"Shadow!? You alright!?" I look and I see Estyn and Maria running towards me. Guess they were closest to my location.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I look at Sonic. "I…I owe you my life, Sonic. Thank you." He instantly blushes and mumbles some intangible words, but I can tell he liked the gratitude. Estyn and Maria look at Sonic.

"W-What are you doing here?" Estyn asks, a bit alarmed.

"I _was_ saving Shadow's life, actually." Comes the reply. I can tell that, behind the sarcastic tone of him showing off, he's not liking the fact that Estyn seems to trying to accuse him.

"Estyn, it's fine. There's no need to get on his case." I look back at him, only to find he's gone. Did he teleport back already? No, I see him a few metres away but he looks really upset. I shoot Estyn a non-amused look, with her mumbling an apology, and I go after him. He sits on a rock, tears streaming down his face, though he's not bawling or anything. He's learning some self-control but he can't contain the feelings for long. I pat his shoulder. "Sorry about Estyn."

"…It's fine." Comes a sobbed mumble. I sit next to him, as the rock is long in length, and I wrap my arms around him. Considering what happened in Techopolis, I'm surprised he's up at all. I underestimated how fast he heals. He falsely smiles and rests his head on my shoulder. He wants the affection.

"…Hey now. Let's wipe those tears away, eh?" I start mopping him up. "It was her tone, wasn't it? Her tone made you upset."

"It was partially that…but it not like anyone really cares 'bout me." The statement takes me aback but I dare not react negatively. That'll make it all worse.

"I care. You know I do."

"Alright. No-one but you."

That's…only slightly better.

"I think I know what set you off. You're thinking no-one wants you around. Am I right?" Sonic silently nods, tensing. He's beginning to cry again. That counts as a yes. I gently shush him and we remain silent for a few minutes as I wait for Sonic to get all this out of his system. He eventually calms down, furiously wiping his eyes in annoyance. He glances at the teleporter. It's the safer option, but now I'm worried about what's going on in his head. Going back might be the worst thing he can do while he has all these negative ideas swirling in his head. "You alright now?" He nods.

"Yea'…I think so." He flashes a smile, but I can tell he's forcing it. He's not happy in the slightest. His eyes give him away. I sadly smile back.

"People do want you around, you know. I do and everyone else wants you around. You're a blast. People are just a bit on edge right now. You can guess why." A nod. "Come here, you." I hug him tight, though I'm surprised he doesn't hug back. His arms remain by his sides. He feels…cool. Not cold, but he hasn't fully warmed up yet. Eventually, he hugs back.

"…Thank you." He murmurs, letting go and our lips once again connect. It lasts a while this time but, when we repel, we frantically look around. Good, no-one saw. We decide to go back and the others have arrived at the area where the Stone Wildcat was. Sonic hides behind me after seeing many new faces, obviously unnerved and scared. This is gonna be awkward between Sonic and Striker, seeing as they're so similar. Soon enough, Striker notices Sonic behind me and both their jaws drop.

"…Wow…we look alike! I have a twin!" Striker manages to finally say after some uncomfortable silence, smiling in amazement. Sonic says nothing but he ducks even further behind me, obviously afraid by Striker's perky personality. It is a bit overwhelming, I guess. Striker realizes he's coming across as scary and asks Branch to hold his club. He approaches slowly. "It's alright. I'm not gonna hurt you." Sonic takes this in and nods a faint greeting.

"He's…not good around new people." I briefly explain. Striker nods at this.

"I'm guessin' he's the me in your universe, right?"

"Right. This is Sonic."

"Sonic, huh? Shadow told me about you! Name's Striker."

"…Striker…?" Sonic only mumbles the name in question.

"Bro, tell him your real name." Cass scorns. "Sorry, Striker's real name is Max."

"CASS!" Striker…or Max (and I'm ignoring my urge to laugh)…screams, red in embarrassment. "…You know how much I hate that name…!"

"Yeah, I know. That's why you waste all your time playing video games and watching anime. You need to get a life."

"Cass…when we get home, you are SO grounded."

"Only Mom can ground me!"

"I can too! I'm older than you! By a long shot!"

The argument is broken up by Sonic laughing. Striker's about to shout but I give him a warning look and I mouth "let him". He takes in a deep breath to defuse himself while Sonic does the same to get rid of his hysterics.

"S-Sorry…" He mumbles, still struggling to keep a straight face. Striker mouths "why did he laugh". I sigh and I whisper everything in his ear, making him go white. I also tell him to NOT tell his teammates nor his sister, which he nods in agreement too. I pat Sonic's shoulder as he hadn't noticed me tell Striker all that.

"You alright now?"

"Y-Yeah…hehe…I'm normal now." He's huffing, still smiling. "Haven't laughed that much in a long while. Man, that felt good." He eyes Striker. "Sorry if that seemed rude…"

"No…no, it's alright, Sonic. Thinking about it, it must have been a bit funny."

That's when Sonic stops altogether, eying Cass up and down suspiciously, almost as if he's trying to work something out in his head. He eventually stops staring but Striker's noticed.

"…Why are ya starin' at my sister?" His tone is annoyed. Sonic bites his lip and resumes his role of hiding behind me, not wanting to say anything. "No, I'm not mad or anythin'! It's alright." He doesn't look up at him. Realizing that something's up, I escort a little way from the group, gesturing for everyone to stay put. We get a bit of privacy and I hold Sonic by one shoulder, smiling in a gentle, caring way.

"What's going on? Please, tell me." He hesitates before gently exhaling.

"…I only came on the mission for two reasons." Sonic lowly explains and that in itself is bad. "One: to rescue you and two: to find the one I saw in my latest vision."

"…You had another vision?" I ask and he nods. He rubs his forehead then. I feel it. It does feel warm.

"Still have a headache from it." So it's not completely painless. I think for a moment.

"So…Cass…she's the one you saw?" Sonic nods at this.

"…Yeah…but I think this one is different. She looked upset when she got the doll, but she's calm now…so I'm thinking she hasn't contacted Sasaki yet."

"She hasn't?"

"Who is Sasaki?"

We jump at Striker's voice. Sonic whimpers, fearing the reaction. Luckily, Striker's calm and holds his hands up in innocence.

"It's alright, I'm just asking."

"We don't know much about him." I enclose. "He's a being similar to you and Sonic, but he lives in a pocket dimension that connects straight with Hell. Literal Hell, mind you. There is this website called the Hell Correspondence."

"I know of it. If you type the name of someone you hate in the website at midnight, Hell Hedgehog will extract revenge for you."

"…Hell Hedgehog...?" Both me and Sonic ask in unison. Striker nods.

"I guess he has two names. Go on."

"Anyway, Sasaki gives you a straw doll with a thread around its neck. If you pull the thread completely off, the person you want revenge against will be sent to Hell…but you have to go to Hell yourself when you die. It's part of some covenant, I think. We still don't know why, but Sonic gets visions of those who have gotten the straw doll and he saw your sister, but we think this time we're seeing it before it actually happens."

"Wait…why would I access the Hell Link?" Cass asks, appearing with everyone else. "I don't hate anyone."

"…Yet." Sonic adds, shrugging.

"Heh, what a freak. All you're doing is sprouting groundless theories! I think that's an excuse to teach you a lesson." Branch smirks, cracking his knuckles. He marches over and pushes me aside when I try acting like a barrier between him and Sonic, who is starting to tremble at the gorilla's tone. That and the fact Branch towers over Sonic in terms of size (at least a metre taller; Sonic only comes to his chest) and easily pushes him to the ground. "What a pathetic little _weakling_! Get out of here! Go on, get lost!"

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" I ram into Branch hard, depleting a bit of HP from him but he brushes himself off, growling. He pulls one of his cutlasses out.

"Branch, don't do this! Just leave it!" Candy pleads but Branch doesn't listen and charges. Out of self-defence, I launch a Chaos Spear straight at his chest, knocking out his HP so it's extremely low. I power down.

"I'm not about to erase you, Branch, but I'm not going to let you hurt Sonic anymore."

"And what are you gonna do about it, bitesize?"

"B…B…?!" I can't even say the word because it makes me so angry. I'm about to launch the final attack when a sudden burst of flames hits me and sends me reeling. Lara's looking annoyed.

"Will both of you calm down already!?"

I blink. Did I really get that wound up…? I glance around for Sonic. I don't see him. I'm about to activate the tracker when I hear screams. Traumatized, high-pitched screams of panic and terror. I know who it's coming from. I follow the sounds, looking around every nook and cranny of this damn cave level. The lights are on now so it's easier to see but it's still gloomy and dank and dark and miserable. Not the best environment when you're going through an illusional hallucination (now the official term for his "flashbacks"). I see him. He's on his side, screaming and kicking fruitlessly. A strangled noise comes from the back of his throat, almost like he can't breathe. I reach him, only to get repelled by something. I look up.

Standing on the rock is a dark grey hedgehog of sorts who is very tall, at least twice my own size. He has icy cyan eyes that glow and are looking like they belong to a snake, black marks around his eyes, clawed hands and feet, heavy white fluff around his upper torso and a long tail, which is strange for a hedgehog. He eyes me calmly.

"So…you must be Shadow the Hedgehog." He muses, his voice deep and emotionless, yet gleeful and emotive. That seriously makes no sense. He sounds calm, like my appearance hasn't fazed him in the slightest. I can faintly see a golden mist escaping his extended index finger on his right hand and it ends around Sonic's neck.

"Let him go…NOW."

"You think you can order me around?" Is he a boss? No, no health bar. He's not native to this dimension, much like myself.

"If you don't want a bullet to the face, yes. Sonic can't breathe! You really think I'm going to back off!?"

"Interesting. You have a mighty spark in you." He chuckles. "Infinite was right about you. Don't worry, this Soul Chain is just to cause another illusion. It's not a real chain."

Infinite…this creep knows Infinite?

Hang on…there was something Aethon said about Infinite…

" _They have a God problem of their own: a Corrupted God by the name of Zielo. It might be that Zielo and Infinite have joined forces…and that is why they have had many knockbacks as of late…"_

"So…you're Zielo, am I right?" Zielo looks slightly surprised.

"So, you know who I am?"

"Aethon told me a little about you. A corrupted God."

"A perfect God." Zielo corrects, smirking. "I desire a perfect world. My own dimension will soon be under my control…once I have gotten rid of my brother's imperfect parting gifts, the Sons of Heephis."

"Sons…of Heephis…?"

"I shall leave that information for another time." He eyes Sonic. "Alright, I think that is enough." The mist cancels out and Sonic starts coughing and choking. Zielo's form disappears in a dark swirl of grey and black mist. I glare at the now-empty rock and rush to Sonic's side, rolling him onto his back so he can breathe a little easier. His eyes are wild and unseeing and he doesn't look over at me when I shake him. I wait a few minutes. He seems to snap back to reality, coughing a few more times before struggling to move. I help him into a sitting position and I gently hug him, but I keep my arms around his torso. He jumps but I feel his head rest on my shoulder in gratitude.

"A-Are you alright…?" I shakily ask, caressing his cheek.

"…C-Couldn't breathe…" He rubs his throat. "…Infinite….h-he was choking me with chains…dozens of chains…chains that were killing me over and over…" He breaks down in my arms, which instantly sets me off as well. I drastically tighten my hug, minding to keep some room for breathing, just in case he gets the illusion again from the trigger. He then manages to stop himself. I do also, rubbing my eyes to remove any remnants of me crying. I help him to his feet, but he is badly off-balance. He gestures if he can lean on me and I nod, hooking on arm around my shoulders as we start walking. As we walk back to the others, I peek. Striker is giving Branch a massive lecture and, judging on the shock on his team's face, he's told them everything. Just great. I sigh and me and Sonic go over, but Sonic stays behind me again, more scared than ever. Branch meets Sonic's eyes and looks away, smacking his lips together anxiously.

"…I'm sorry, squirt. I…I don't know what came over me…I'm really sorry for hurting you like that…physically and verbally. I didn't mean any of it." He meekly apologizes. Sonic's silent but he flashes a quick grin, so Branch takes that as forgiveness. Striker notices the next elevator and leads us there. Weirdly, the elevator skips floor 100 and goes straight to 101. As it opens, we see four figures. One is Occult. The others are new faces. One is an auburn female bird, one is a male red rattlesnake and the other is a female white and lilac deer.

"Autumn? Rattle? Lavender? How did…?"

"You cleared the floor for us. 100 was a joke. It was just a water level." Lavender explains.

"Thank god we did miss it…" Sonic mumbles.

"Why?" Estyn asks.

"Sonic can't swim. He's aquaphobic and I mean, REALLY aquaphobic." I explain, getting a dark glance. I'm guessing he didn't want them to know. He pokes me in annoyance. We're at some massive doors. They then open and a cold wind blows us in the face.

"Enter, courageous warriors." A dark voice echoes from the room. Occult flies in first, followed by Autumn and her friends. Striker leads his band in and we follow, but Sonic hangs back, shaking. I realize he doesn't want to come in and I understand, giving his hand a squeeze and I kiss his forehead.

"We'll be right back."

"You better be, Shadz." He mocks, flicking my nose. I nod and I go in. The doors remain open, almost as if they're waiting for Sonic to go through them. He refuses. Inside the room, it's almost pitch black. I make my rings shine and Estyn activates her Aura Light. Lara makes flames encase her hands. Candy's arrows create a bit of light. Autumn seems to have good vision as she wanders around with ease. The floor rumbles and the ceiling gives way, revealing a night-time sky with a clock. It's 11:57pm. Is that real time?

"Hah! The overworld clock! We're really are at the very top!" Striker explains and whoops. "WE WON!" Everyone cheers but the ground rumbles again and a giant hooded figure slams a scythe into the ground.

"Not yet you haven't." He taunts, looking down at all of us individually. "…14 of you…interesting…name your guild and members."

"PhantomStriker3 of the Midnight Wolves' band. My members are MidnightNoir, VioletLily238, BranchOfTheNight, Pacific899 and Candyfloss3."

"My name is AutumnLeaves of the Platinum Orcas. My friends are Rattle'n'Shake and LavenderFlowers."

"…" Occult says nothing. Striker points to him.

"That's OccultBat267. He's the last member of the Tricky Turtles. He can't talk." Occult gives Striker a death glare.

"Tricky Trio, I thought you said."

"I made that up. All bands are named after animals, like it or not. I swear I did say that but oh well."

"And you, black hedgehog?"

"We're not players. I'm Shadow and these are my friends Maria, Estyn and Lara."

"…I sense there is still one player to enter."

"Sonic's not coming in. End of." I snap back. He chuckles and the big doors swing closed with a mighty bang. I hear a shriek come from the other side.

"There. Now we can begin. You have faced 100 floors of peril…much like others before you but none have succeeded in killing me."

"Wait a minute…" Cass stutters, foolishly stepping forward. "…You're Rellik!"

Rellik…BlackBlank…the designer who locked up the game. Rellik chuckles darkly and throws back his hood. He is a male echidna with white fur, crazed amber eyes and black strapped dreadlocks, almost like black sports tape. His hands glow with malevolence black energy.

"That is correct. I am Yoshiaki Tokawa, the designer and head developer of Blade Wars X. Who would I guessed I joined the project just so I could do virtual killing?"

What is it with people being Japanese!? Seriously!?

"Y-You're a serial killer…you're the Black Jack."

"Correct, my fair Autumn." Yoshiaki (I'm sticking to Rellik from here on out) chuckles. He then eyes Occult. "Well done, my valiant Occult…you have done well."

"You…know him?" Candy asks. Occult nods at this and, much to our surprise, he starts talking.

"You can call me Taro. Taro Tokawa. Rellik is my father. I just hacked the game to give myself a bat appearance. In reality, I am full echidna. And no, I am NOT mute."

"And you have made me proud, Taro, my boy." He pats him on the head, earning in a sly but embarrassed smile and some muttering. "Now…who to kill first?"

"Not before we kill you! Let's ram him!" Striker directs, running towards this psychopath. Autumn and her two friends follow.

"Let's get him, Team Universe!" We all activate our Soul Armour. I now have ruby red armour over my body with black details on. They cover my quills, head, arms, chest, legs and feet. Maria has a blue armoured bodysuit on with armour on her legs, arms and she has a headphone-like band replaced her headband before. Estyn has a pink armoured skirt on with white details as well as body armour. Lara's is a lighter red to mine and she has a full on jumpsuit of armour. All of us have metallic boots. Everyone is ramming into Rellik and Occult/Taro but they are also fighting each other. Typical. Striker gets rammed by Occult, with them also being evenly matched. Unfortunately, Striker misjudges Occult's attack. He goes in for a full swing and severs a deep wound into Striker's torso, making his avatar frantically flash scarlet in warning.

"BRO!" Cass screams as Occult lands a final attack, making Striker's avatar vanish. The spectacle was so big that everyone, even Rellik, stops to take it in. Heartbroken tears are running down most faces, especially those within his team. Cass, too. She lets out a sharp wail. At that moment, the overhead clock strikes midnight. I look over. Cass is doing something and wanders over to a patch of darkness. I guess she's going to heal herself. She's down to a quarter of her health. Occult is about to kill Pacific when a hand grabs his wrist from the wall. Everyone stops.

"W-What…!?" Occult whimpers, trying to fly out of the hand's grip. He succeeds but three more grab both ankles and his other wrist, dragging him towards the wall slowly as he lets out a scream.

"TARO!" Rellik shouts, reaching for his son's hand. He grabs it and tries pulling his son free but fails. Occult gets reeled back and gets dragged into the rock formation, gone. I turn around after hearing a weak laughter, my jaw dropping. Cass is standing there triumphantly, scarlet thread in her hand, tears staining her cheeks.

"…No…she didn't…"

 **Your grievance shall be avenged.**

Rellik turns towards Cass in a heartbroken rage.

"W-What have you done…!?"

"I sent him to Hell." She says, looking at the thread in her hand. "I hope you'll be happy now, bro…" I see the black brand on her chest.

I gulp. I hate to think of what is happening to Occult…

XO

 _Ugh…what the fuck!?_

 _I jolt up to my feet. Where…am I? I'm surrounded by machines that control the game. Did I get sucked to the game's core? Cool. I reach for one PC but a wire whips out like a snake and starts wrapping around my body. It's hot as hell, burning into my fur, my body, my soul. It ensnares my neck. It's agony! I see someone watching me. Striker._

" _S-Striker…" I mumble. "H-Help me…p-please…"_

 _He doesn't reply. In fact, he snarls a sinister smirk and turns, leaving, leaving me in my pain._

" _S-Someone…" I collapse onto my knees, the pain now unbearable. I try activating my inventory but it's empty. "W-What…?"_

" _You are not the only cheater around here." I look up. A female cat in a kimono is looking down at me with amusement. "We removed everything from your inventory. That is what a murderer like yourself deserves."_

" _I-It was his fault." I manage to say. I'm struggling to both keep myself breathing and conscious. "H-He…he killed too…my leader…my friends…my father, he would h-have my revenge for me…P-People only exist to die. I d-don't care about any of them…" I see two more figures: an elderly grey hedgehog and an echidna. The hedgehog sighs and shakes his head sorrowfully._

" _Well, you know what to do Master."_

" _O pitiful soul lost in the darkness, bringing torment and pain to others." I weakly turn, falling onto my side as I start seizing in agony. The hedgehog over me has blue fur, red eyes and a cloak with impossible motion definition. "O damned soul wallowing in your sin…perhaps…it is time to die."_

 _I black out, burning pain searing its way into my soul and it suddenly dispels. I force my eyes open. I'm on a boat, surrounded by lanterns. That hedgehog is driving the boat. I glare at him._

" _Alright, cut the crap Striker! What is this about!? Send me back, now!"_

 _He doesn't reply. Hands grab at my wrists and ankles and I see a ghostly sword above me that stabs into my torso over and over._

" _This is vengeance…so I am to ferry to Hell…"_

XO

The fight continues for some minutes until Rellik finally has enough and starts shouting at the top of his voice.

"ENOUGH OF THIS!" He yells. "I SHALL KILL YOU ALL **NOW!"** He sends shockwave after shockwave of electricity across the floor and swipes his scythe across the room in a hammer throw-like manner, though we all just about dodge. Rellik ferally growls as he activates a gem on his chest. The Soul Crystal. Crystal formations jump up and surround us, immobilizing us. Not even Autumn, who is flying, escapes as it drags her down to the ground. "Playtime is over, little flies. Now…who to kill first?" He eyes me. Great. "How about you, little black hedgehog from another stupid dimension? You have had the audacity to come here…but you will die here too." He starts firing up a laser. "…SAY GOODBYE TO YOUR PITIFUL EXISTENCE, STRIPES!"

He suddenly groans as a cyan laser strikes him in the chest, cancelling out the laser. He twists his head around. I crane my head to look at who attacked him.

There's only one person it could be. Sonic, donned in his armour. He looks at me and back at Rellik. I look at the doors. They're open, albeit in pieces. Rellik growls but looks interested.

"Well, well, if it isn't the little coward." I cringe, fearing Sonic's reaction. He meets my eye contact again for a second but slyly smirks.

"You've got the wrong guy. I ain't a coward."

"Oh, snarky. I like it. That attack was sneaky. Double impressive. What name do you go by?"

"I'll give ya three guesses."

"Are you mocking me!?"

"Heh, maybe." Rellik's face goes red with rage.

"I'M KILLING YOU RIGHT NOW!" He launches a punch but Sonic swiftly dodges.

"Ah! Too slow!"

"You little…!" He fires lasers, missiles, electricity and rapid fire bullets. Sonic dodges every single attack effortlessly.

"Not too bad. I'll give you a B for effort but an E in execution."

"YOU ARE IMPOSSIBLE!"

"What you see is what you get. Just a guy who likes adventure. The name's Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog. And you are hereby history!" He fires a massive cyan laser that lasts several seconds. It strikes Rellik's chest, making his body crack and explode into small fabric fragments. The crystal ensnaring us crumbles. Unfortunately, the ground gives way, making all of us fall through several floors. We end up back in the field where we first landed: Floor 98. We all groan as we make contact with the ground. Luckily, the grass slightly cushions us. We are then met with rockfall from the previous floor and water from floor 100. Branch punches several holes in the ground so the water drains away. We're forced to dodge the rocks. Eventually, everything settles down.

"Everyone alright?" I ask, looking around. Everyone is bruised and heavily hurt. I notice that all the players lost a bit of health from the fall. Pacific is flashing scarlet and the same goes with Cass but both get healed.

"That was awesome!" Autumn cheers. "That guy tore Rellik apart!"

…Wait, where is Sonic, anyway? Is he still on Floor 101? I look up at the holes and I can still see the night sky. I don't see him peering down.

It's not just Sonic. Estyn's missing too.

"…So…you stopped me again."

As I turn, the landscape changes. I'm met with a ruby red sky with a setting sun. We're on a hill with a massive sakura cherry tree with red spider lily flowers dotted in clumps. Standing by the tree is Sasaki. Not him again.

"Alright, you. You have some questions to answer! Why do you send people to Hell!?"

Sasaki only blinks once before answering. "Because I am contacted to do so."

"The Master has to do his job as dictated by Agor, the God of Hell." The cat, Tsubaki, explains, materializing with Ren and Ishimoto.

"Then why is Sonic getting these visions!?"

"Only Tsubaki knows that and she won't tell." Ren mocks. Tsubaki sighs.

"I would…but I can't break my promise to Fujioka…not until I see him again, anyway."

"…Who?"

"Maurice Fujioka…he was a dear friend to me before I came into Sasaki's service. We were friends, lovers…but then…he died…and he went insane from vengeance and resurrected himself and was sent into another timeline as punishment; he became another person…I promised I would never tell anyone where or who he was…and I will keep to that promise."

"Shadow, I must ask you not to intervene anymore." Sasaki says. "I have to carry out my duty. Yes, I punish the guilty…and sometimes the innocent…but curses always come home to roost."

I black out and I'm back in the field when I open my eyes, only I'm looking at the sky. I'm on my back and I can hear breaths of relief.

"…Shadow…? Are you alright? You passed out." Lara is over me. I fan her away as I sit up straight faster than a jackhammer.

"Yeah…I'm fine." I rub my head. It's sore. "Any luck in finding Sonic or Estyn?"

"We're trying to. Our trackers aren't working."

"Shit…" I try standing. Lara helps me. "Wait, where is Cass and everyone?"

"They logged out. The game's unlocked now so it's easy come, easy go." I nod at this. I'm guessing that's the end of the mission then.

"Hey! Shadow! Over here!" I hear a familiar voice. 5 hills away, I see a shadowed figure waving with both arms. A rabbit. Estyn. That makes one. We go over to her. She's looking really panicked. This is not good.

"What's wrong, Es?" Lara asks, taking her BF by the shoulders. Estyn's trying to talk but no words are coming out of her mouth. "What? What is it?" She meets my gaze and gulps.

"Is it Sonic?" I ask in alarm and, when she slowly nods, I bite my lip. All kinds of scary thoughts are whizzing around in my head, so much so that my speech becomes all jumbled. "I-Is he…a-a-alright?"

I have never stuttered so much in my life.

Estyn's fists clench alongside her teeth. Her body tenses and she's starting to cry.

"…He…he…"

I feel my heart drastically sink. Please…don't say it Estyn…don't say what I think you're going to say…please…

"He, what?" Lara pushes, annoyed at the lack of answer but also after seeing the amount of terror on my own face. "Estyn, he what!?"

"He…he…" She takes in a deep breath of air to stabilize her nerves. "…I think he's had a fit…"

I freeze. A fit…? As in…a seizure…?

"…You mean, a seizure?" I shakily ask. She nods. Part of me is calmer, seeing as the worst hasn't happened but a seizure…that creates a new kind of alarm. That's something I wouldn't be able to watch. Estyn leads us down a hill and I see Sonic lying at the bottom of it.

"The seizure ends seconds ago. I couldn't leave him alone…I had to stay with him until it ended." I notice something strange about Sonic.

His pendant's jewel…instead of the blue it was before, it's a solid and murky grey, like mist has swallowed up the colour.

"What's up with his amulet?" Maria asks.

"I'm guessing he used all his remaining energy in that last attack…" Estyn sadly reveals. "…all that, just to save us…"

I ignore everything she's saying. I kneel next to Sonic and I check him over. He's fine…I think. Estyn notices and gently pulls me away from him.

"He's just unconscious still…but what about the Soul Plate?"

She's right. I haven't seen it yet. That's when I see a dark swirl of mist dart from the sky into the wreckage on one of the floors above. In his hand is Striker's club, which moulds into the Plate. The mist materializes into Zielo.

"Who is that guy?" Estyn shivers. I growl.

"Remember Aethon mentioning a guy called Zielo?" The group nods. "That's him." Gawks. Zielo cruelly smirks.

"You may shine, Spark…" He starts. "…but it will not be long until…"

A sudden golden slash interrupts him.

" **Come back here, you BASTARD! You can't escape me by zone-hopping, y'know!"** He turns. Another version of Sonic…? This version looks like a blend of Super Sonic and Dark, with his amber eyes and dark fur. He is wearing a dark blue cloak and a pendant with a dark blue circle. He has black marks around his eyes and he looks absolutely pissed. He sees us and fires a shot at us without mercy. It gets blocked by someone though. White dreadlocks, meta….oh, nevermind. It's just Infinite. **"This fight does not concern you!"** This Sonic yells, firing two shots out of two purple Chaos Guns. Infinite growls and eyes us.

" **Consider this a warning: get out of here. Now. I'd rather me finish you off than this incomplete soul."**

" **INCOMPLETE!?"** Comes a raged shout from the caped Sonic, ramming hard into Infinite with a spin dash. It takes Infinite off-guard and he reels back, crashing into a hillside. Zielo also eyes us.

"I would leave, if you value your lives. Me and Infinite have a…slight problem."

"He's right. This is one hell of a warzone." Estyn calls, yelping when Zielo shoots black balls of energy at the caped Sonic. Without a second thought, we all teleport back to the citadel, happy to get away from that damn fight, though we've lost the second Plate on the trot. Lara and Maria go to report to Aeon and Aethon while me and Estyn carry Sonic to the infirmary. The moment we lie him back, he wiggles and moans. He opens his eyes, cringing from a shot of pain. Estyn takes over, shushing him.

"Quiet now." She gently assures, fussing his ear. Sonic subconsciously purrs. I blush. It's such a…cute noise coming from him. "Everything is alright now…shush." He whimpers.

"…W-What…?" He weakly asks, holding his hand to his forehead in pain. I hug him.

"…You had a fit, Sonic." Estyn explains, perching on the side of the bed, interlocking her hand with his own. "…Are you epileptic, do you know?" Blinking in surprise, Sonic shakes his head. "Hmmm…"

"When you say a fit, you mean…l-like a seizure…?"

"Estyn, it might be a result of…well…you-know-what." I murmur to her and she nods in joint agreement. Sonic sighs at our secret exchange. He sees his blacked out pendant. He pulls it off in some sudden rush of angry and throws it to the other side of the room, pushes Estyn off him and burrows under the sheets. He's not crying, but I can imagine he's struggling not to. "Hey, hey! What's wrong?" I see Estyn's gone to retrieve the amulet. "Come on." I pull at him but he swats me away. I gesture to Estyn and she gets it, leaving the amulet on a small bedside table before leaving the room. When the door closes, I feel Sonic relax a little. He peeks from under the covers, teary-eyed but not actually crying. I really don't like it when he's upset like this. It makes me feel helpless and lost, always not knowing what is really going on in Sonic's head. He just gets upset so easily and so often. "Hey now, talk to me Sonic. What's the matter?" I gently ask, stroking his head. He nuzzles my arm in response, obviously liking what I'm doing. He sits up and wipes his eyes, though he tightly grips the sheets to release some pent-up stress.

"…"

I wait. I decide to be patient, seeing as I'm giving all control over to Sonic. He takes it as he sighs at long last.

"…I just…I just feel so…so…" He's trying to think of the right words to use. "…so lost."

"Lost?" I repeat, head to one side in confusion. Sonic nods, his grip on the sheets so tight I can imagine that his knuckles have gone white.

"It doesn't matter what I do…doesn't matter if I do millions of good things…I act and laugh like I'm normal…but I'm not."

So…him showboating earlier was just him acting…

"I just feel lost and empty." He continues, his head now hanging low. "I don't wanna feel this way anymore, Shadz…yet I don't know what to do…"

"You don't have to do anything." I say, earning in a look. "I know what you're talking about, feeling like nothing is going to change, like your emotions are static and won't ever change for the positive, right?" He nods. I hook my arm around him, cradling him close to me. "I am going to make things better for you…I'm still figuring out how, because…" I gulp. "…I'm going to be honest for you. Having depression and knowing how you feel is one thing, supporting you is another. I sometimes feel lost too, because I feel powerless and helpless…sometimes I don't know what to do either, and that's not your fault. I'm always here for you and I'm never going to leave you." He rams into me for a death hug, crying. Yet, he's smiling.

"…You always know what to say, Shadz…you always know how to make me happy…even if it's just for a minute."

"You have to relish in these little happy moments. You have to think that, with time and support, things will get better. I'm going to be here every step of the way, and the others too. Lara especially."

"Really? Lara?" He sounds seriously perplexed. "…How does she know…?"

"I found out in the Techopolis mission that Lara has depression too but she takes it one step further. She burns her wrist." Sonic releases me in shock as he cups his mouth.

"Y-You serious…!?"

"Yeah, dead serious. She didn't even tell Estyn. She only picked on you to release all her bad feelings."

"So…it wasn't like I seriously pissed her off or anythin'."

"Definitely not." I run my fingers through his quills. I think. I jump up and I push a second empty bed against the one Sonic's lying in.

"What _are_ you doing?"

"I figured, since we're not doing the next mission to tomorrow due to everyone being literally exhausted, the least I can do is stay with you tonight."

"As in…we're sleeping together?"

"You'll have that one and I'll have these one. If you want to cuddle up, fine. It's your shout." I slip into the second bed, waiting to see what Sonic does. Sighing, he shifts over and lies against myself, his head meeting my chest. I can't help but smile. I tuck the sheets around him and I kiss his forehead, earning a cute little purr. "Sweet dreams Sonikku." His eyes momentarily flicker open as he leans in to kiss my cheek.

"…You too, Shadz. You too."

 **Plates Collected: 3/300**

 **Plates Lost: 2**

 **ED: Wonderful Wonder World by Yui*chi (Log Horizon 2)**


End file.
